Ghosts From The Past
by Leonora Chris
Summary: Tony has finally joined the NCIS and is now Special Agent DiNozzo. There are still many bumps on the way, tempers fly and people come and go. New and old. And there is no present without past. No one said it was going to be easy. AU. Part 3 of the 'Ghosts' series.
1. Say That Again

**_**(I don't own NCIS or the characters etc from it, only the story is mine.)**_**

**I may not always even notice if I end up mentioning something from the oneshots, without getting into any further details. Just a little heads up on that... For example, something I don't know if I'm even going to mention here is what I mentioned on the last Ghosts oneshot. The fate of Tony's car. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the story.  
><strong>

_**Leo**_

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><p><strong><em>"I was once told I need to forgive the betrayal I was put through. They don't realize that forgive and forget are two separate things.<em> **

**_What they're really asking for is to forget my basic human instinct. The instinct to protect myself against the threat which they became.  
><em> **

** _It is forgive and move on, but don't let it happen to you again. It's not forget and move on and then go through it again and again._ **

** _The first was their fault, but the second will put the blame on you. So I move on and forgive for my sake, but I will never forget."  
><em> **

** _- Charlie C.F._ **

* * *

><p>Two months of forced vacation. Normally the very thought of that was too much for Tony to bear. The former Detective was not good at the whole '<em>sit still and just relax for two months<em>'. For once he had done as told, but it was only thanks to his Italian relatives, who forced him to rest and recover just like the doctor had ordered. Thankfully, they also made sure he was never bored. Plus, one month of being surrounded by nothing but Italian language was a great way to refresh his own skills.

Only one month, because as soon as he was well enough, he decided to spend that last month traveling around Europe. He even went to climbing once. What Ducky didn't know, couldn't hurt anyone. Now he was finally back home. Healthy tan and a healthy glow on him, which he was very much aware that he hadn't had on him in years. He _had_ needed that vacation desperately, but there was nothing and no one who could make him admit it. It was his secret to keep.

"Hey, Tony! You're back! Looking good too. I can see why the Director started the holy war, just to send you away."

Tony rolled his eyes. He was standing in the bullpen and looking at the time every once in a while. Tom Morrow had ordered him there, saying they needed to talk about something. "I looked perfectly fine before, Chris."

Chris Pacci grinned, looking highly amused. "Sure. Like the Death himself was standing right behind you the whole time."

"You're only saying that because you were there when Langer decided to use me as his punching bag."

"Sure... Anything that makes you feel better, Tony..."

Tony had a mock look of hurt on his face, but he didn't bother holding it up for too long. He was in a very good mood. Again he had to admit that the vacation had done him wonders. Despite that one close call at the mountains, he'd been having the time of his life. And for the first time since deciding to become a cop, he hadn't even once thought about work, and all the brutal crime scene memories he was always carrying around.

"So, what are you doing here this early?"

Chris pointed his finger at the stack of files. "I decided to leave the paperwork for Monday... Felt like such a good idea at the time."

"Ouch... That's gonna hurt." Tony winced in empathy. He'd made the same mistake only few times, before he realized that it was not a good idea when you were a cop in a place where the work load was so much worse. Ever since then, he'd created his own system to go through and finish them fast. When asked how he did it, he never revealed his secret. Just gave people his infuriating trademark answer '_Work smarter, not harder_'.

"It already does. So why are _you_ here so early? Can't wait to get back to work? I'd be glad to share, you know." Chris smirked and then pointed at his stack of papers again.

"Ha-ha. No. The Director told me to come."

"Ah... I hope it's nothing serious. Or have nothing to do with the bear in the bullpen."

"The bear..? What did he do?"

"What didn't he do? Honestly, I'm actually impressed Vivian hasn't quit yet. I didn't think she had it in her. Although, I'm not sure how much longer she will be able to take it... There's been several missing children cases they've had to work with lately. Gibbs went from bad to worse, and the other day from worse to a full meltdown. I'd say he went from a pissed off bear to a dragon, in a matter of hours."

Tony shook his head. "Well, I can't really blame him... Although, he really should find other ways to show off his temper... He's never going to keep his Agents with him for a full year..."

"Oh yeah. That's another thing. Guess how many of the new Agents he's been scaring off in the last two months?"

"I'd say a few, but with that look on your face, I'm guessing it's a lot more than that..."

"Nine. _Nine_ perfectly fine Agents, who came here strong and full of potential, but ended up leaving weak and terrified for their lives. The Director isn't being very happy and threatened to find the perfect punishment for Gibbs, if he doesn't change his ways... I must admit I'm kind of looking forward to that. Especially knowing how good any punishments usually work on the old bastard. I feel sorry for you, for getting him as your boss."

Tony shook his head again in amazement. He could already feel how the 'feeling good after the vacation' was starting to fade away.

"Already regretting taking the job?" Chris looked sympathetic.

"No... Not that. I'm just wondering if the vacation was worth it."

The elevator opened and Tom Morrow stepped in the bullpen. Tony could be mistaken, but for a moment he thought the man looked relieved. And not just '_good to have you back and looking healthier_' relieved. It was more like '_thank God, you're finally back!_'

Chris greeted the Director and stared after the two with a curious look on his face, as they disappeared towards the Director's office. He was pretty sure even Gibbs didn't know yet that Tony was back, or else he might not have even left work yesterday. That was the other curious thing. The Director had ordered Gibbs and Vivian home early and to not return until Tuesday. It was almost as if Morrow had done it on purpose, so that Gibbs wouldn't be here when Tony came.

Inside the office, Tom told the young man to sit down and then he observed him for a moment, before sitting behind his desk. "I'm glad to see that you look much healthier than the last time I saw you. You're looking good and I hope you will keep it that way. I don't want my Agents passing out in my office, when they fail to take care of themselves properly... And especially not get killed on the field because of it."

"Sir..."

"On your defence, you were not yet officially my Agent back then. But I don't want a repeat of that. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes sir." Tony had to keep still, to not squirm on his seat. This Director made him feel like a naughty schoolboy, facing the principal...

"Good... Now on the more positive note... Before your vacation, you passed your requirements with flying colors. I'm impressed. Very much so. On your files I can see you've jumped ranks so fast that I can see only one other person in the agency ever doing the same. I believe his name was-"

"Howard..." Tony spoke softly and Tom looked surprised.

"Yes. How did you-?"

"He was my brother..."

"Really? On your files I see no mention of that..."

"Distant relatives. And he was more like a surrogate brother to me. We were really close..."

"I'm sorry for your loss..."

"It's okay... It's been ten years now, sir. Plenty of time to grieve."

Tom hummed. Neither agreeing nor disagreeing. "Well, either way. With the level you are at, you would be ready to be Senior Field Agent."

Tony flinched. _Not again_... "Sir... With all respect... As good as I may or may not be, all you know is what's on the paper. You don't know how good I am from your own experience. No one in this place truly knows it. And before I can truly do my job at my very limits and possibly stretch that line even further, I need to first get used to the differences between being a cop and being a federal Agent. Once you have seen it yourself, that I'm good enough and you think I deserve it, then I will be fine with it... My only wish would be to not be treated like a complete rookie or probie as you call it... I'm not green, just never been an Agent before..."

Tom Morrow was pleased. He had actually planned finishing his sentence with a '_but it might be a little too soon for that just yet_'. He knew from experience, that many lesser men would have jumped into opportunity to jump forward in their career as fast as they could. Very few of them actually did succeed on the long run.

"Very well. That's what we will do then. Don't worry. Your new boss knows you're not a probie. I made sure of that."

"Really? You told Gibbs that?" Tony was surprised.

Tom was looking guilty. "Actually... Agent Gibbs won't be your boss."

"I thought..."

"We all thought that, but as I am sure Agent Pacci already told you, there's been some trouble lately because of Agent Gibbs. I told him that I have a punishment waiting for him, if he did not at least try to behave and keep his big man tantrums outside work. We can't afford to keep losing good Agents because of one man. He's good, but he's not _that_ good. And being someone from the older generation of Agents and no longer as sought-after as they used to be, I can't protect him forever..." Tom shook his head and kept talking.

"He didn't take heed and instead of just talking a criminal into surrendering, he provoked him into taking a weapon he had dropped on the floor. The man did so and Gibbs shot him in the head. The guy was a pedophile, so I was more than happy to cover it up for him, but I'm sure you understand that this type of behavior should never be accepted. He is good at his job _when he wants to_, so no one would simply want to fire him, but at the same time how can I punish others while I let him just keep going as he has been able to so far? I don't practice favoritism and I need to make sure my Agents understand that."

Tony frowned. Hearing all that was a little overwhelming, but not really that shocking. "And what do I have to do with this?"

"Well, you see, Agent DiNozzo..." Tom leaned forward on his crossed arms.

"Gibbs seems to hold you in a very high place in his eyes. He chose you himself. Practically bullied me into accepting you, when he didn't even have to. I had already accepted you. Little speech from Abigal Sciuto, and seeing your files, were enough to convince me... He made the mistake of mentioning to me just how much he can't wait when you finally return and he gets a partner worthy of his time, as he puts it. In his own very arrogant way of course. So I decided to hit him where it hurts the most..."

"By putting me in another team?"

"That's one way of saying it... What you don't know is just how much he needs and wants you in his team. Tomorrow, when he comes to work, you will be working in the field. I will give him '_take it or leave it_' offer. He must 'earn' you. If he can keep even one new Agent in his team for a year, willingly and not bullied into, then he can have you back. If he can first convince _you_ that you would much rather work with him than your current boss. As for your boss... He just transferred, so you'll only meet him tomorrow." Tom stopped talking and obviously waited for Tony to say something.

"Wow..."

Tom hesitated. "If you truly are against this and only came to work here because of Gibbs, then maybe..."

"Oh, no. I think this sounds too amusing to pass on. I'm in. So who's my new boss then?" Tony looked dead serious, but with a twinkle in his eyes and Tom laughed.

By the time Tony was back in the bullpen, he had shared the high points with Chris. For some odd reason, ever since that first phone call, the men had become close enough to share more than a '_hello_' whenever they saw each other. And Tony trusted his gut feeling, that he could trust Chris to not spread this information, even if Tom had never said it was a secret. Needless to say, Chris Pacci was in shock and awe.

"Well, this ought to be interesting... Seriously, man. It is so good to have you back and joining us. You've been at work for what, an hour at most? Where have you been hiding all my life?"

Tony laughed. While he was a little worried how big of an explosion Gibbs was going to be, he couldn't wait to put his skills to test as an NCIS Agent.

"Your boss won't be here for another day and you look like you've got nothing to do with your time, so... You still not gonna help me out with my paperwork? You know, friend in need is a friend-"

"My new boss might not like if you borrow me and get the credit for it, so only in your dreams." Tony smirked and Chris sighed dramatically.

_ **End of Part 1.** _


	2. Unhappy Encounters

Something was going on and Gibbs knew it from the moment he walked in the bullpen, early in the next morning. It wasn't that there was something he could see or hear which would set off the alarms in his head. He just had this really nasty feeling in his gut. Plus, Chris Pacci grinned at him _way_ too gleefully and shouted his 'good morning' way too cheerfully...

All that almost faded away though, at the thought that today would be the first day to have a certain former young Detective joining them. With how difficult it had been for him to work with all those green Agents, and Blackadder who for some reason just didn't get the message to leave, it was truly a gift sent from the Heavens to have found DiNozzo when he did.

"That Detective is not at work yet?" Vivian asked hopefully as she walked to her desk.

"He's no longer Detective, but _Agent_ DiNozzo. So use that correct title." Gibbs gave her a nasty look and Vivian looked away. As much as she had an attitude, she still couldn't hold the eye contact long enough.

The truth was that as the minutes went by, Gibbs was starting to worry when DiNozzo still wasn't at work. At first he simply felt irritated and swore to deliver a head slap and make it clear that he better not be late again. After thirty minutes however, and with that nasty feeling still in his gut, he couldn't brush away the growing worry. On top of that his mind was filled with all the reasons _why_ the young man could be late. None of the scenarios were good. He cursed in his mind that he hadn't told Abby to give him the man's new phone number...

Tom Morrow stood upstairs and looked down at the bullpen. Now that the moment was finally here, he was having doubts, if this really was the best way to deal with his wayward Agent. Then Gibbs noticed him and he knew it was a little too late to have any regrets now. The decision had already been made and he even had DiNozzo's agreement.

"Gibbs. My office."

Chris grinned again when Gibbs walked past him. Oh, to be a fly on the wall, to catch the moment when Gibbs found out...

* * *

><p>While Gibbs was on his way to see the Director, Tony was on his way to a crime scene, where he'd been told to go. He would be meeting his new boss there. When Morrow had given the name, he thought it sounded somehow familiar, but he hadn't given it too much thought at the time.<p>

He stopped the car next to another car, which he figured had to be one of the cars from the Navy Yard he had seen before. Getting out, he frowned when he saw the people crowding around the crime scene. It brought him back to another time, several months ago, and he found himself wondering what Gibbs was doing... It all felt like it happened a lifetime ago... If it weren't for his almost healed scar on his chest as a constant and itchy reminder, and the less serious one on his butt-cheek, he'd think it had all been in a dream.

"Agent DiNozzo?" A man in his late thirties walked towards him.

"Yes. That'd be me." Tony took the offered hand. It was going to take a while to get used to his new title... '_Agent_'...

"I'm Hindall. Nathan Hindall. I'm your new partner and the SFA." The man smiled. He had a firm grip, which was almost too firm. If it weren't for the friendly smile and twinkling eyes, Tony would have thought that there was some ill thought behind it. He was slightly relieved when the man finally let go of his hand.

"So where's the boss?"

"Don't let him know you called him that. He prefers his given name. Come. We've been waiting for you."

Tony frowned with worry and hurried after the shorter man. It would be just his luck to mess up on the first day... "I'm not late, am I?"

"No! I'm sorry. I didn't mean to put it that way... You're actually just a little early. We didn't think Morrow would let you go this soon. It's just that we're still one Agent short, so we really could use you and your fresh mind. Besides, we're almost done at the crime scene anyway. Just need to do some interviews and we'll be heading back."

Tony relaxed, but only slightly. It wouldn't be first time when he was told one thing, but in reality he was left to try read between lines the real message... However, so far so good, so he forced his usual smile on his face as they stepped inside the building where the crime scene was.

Letting out a sharp whistle, Nathan waved his hand towards the few people standing in the room. "Valentine! He's here!"

The man, Valentine, looked to be somewhere in his late forties, but it was hard to tell. While he was taller than Nathan, his waistline looked more like someone who had spent more time sitting behind the desk and not like a field Agent who was used to running after the suspects.

"Anthony DiNozzo?" The man looked at him curiously as he stepped closer and held out his hand, which Tony took with slightly narrowed eyes.

The older man licked his lips, looking suddenly nervous. "I'm Elian Valentine."

"Right. My new boss." Tony stated blankly and pulled his hand back. Then there was a sudden flash of recognition on his face and he chuckled unhappily.

"Of course... I _thought_ your name sounded familiar..."

"Hindall... Go see if doctor Mallard is done with the body..." Valentine ordered and Nathan was smart enough to know when he was dismissed. Shrugging apologetically to Tony, he left.

Tony snorted and crossed his arms over his chest. "I should have figured it out the moment Morrow gave me the name 'Valentine'... It's not like I've met many people with that name."

"Anthony..." Valentine started uncertainly, but Tony cut him off sharply.

"Tony."

"Tony..." Valentine agreed softly and awkward silence took over. Tony was waiting patiently what the man would come up with next. Finally, after embarrassingly long time of silence, the older man chuckled nervously.

"I can see you have grown up from that little boy and you've even mastered your death glare... Howard would be proud..."

"You have no right to speak my brother's name!" Tony hissed and Valentine flinched.

"I'm sorry... I really am... I was stupid and young and... I was stupid. But believe me, when I say that I have paid my price for my young foolishness..."

Tony only glared harder and Valentine looked away. After all those years, he still couldn't face that look... Of course, part of it could have something to do with his feelings of guilt.

"I... I was too green back then, but of course I thought I knew better... That surely I could do just as well as Howard did... It's a miracle I'm even at the position I now am. I made many mistakes, Tony. But I swear, I had nothing to do with your brother's death. As much as I didn't like him, I would have never left him without a backup, had I known what was going on... If there was anything him and I ever agreed on, that was it. To never leave your partner without a backup..."

Tony kept his face impassive, but he was listening and he almost closed his eyes when Howard's death was mentioned. It was still too raw memory for him. Maybe it would always be.

"After Howard died... I lost soon after that another partner... Then my firstborn died..."

Tony actually looked at the man properly in the eyes this time, without the glare. Studying him to see if the man was simply trying to gain some pity points. Seeing no such, but honestly a heartbroken man, he let the man finish his tale.

"It was a hit and run and... Let's just say that I've had a few attitude adjustments happen to me after everything. I had to man up and set my priorities right before I lost even more. I transferred and took care of what was left of my family..."

Tony sighed. "Look... I'm sorry for your loss. I really am. But it doesn't change the fact that I really didn't hear good things from Howard about you. Plus you mocked him after his death. I don't think I can forgive that."

Valentine made a face at the memory. He had gotten into some big trouble for that. The Director had been pissed off... And because of it, he hadn't been there to watch his other partner's back, when their boss failed to do so... "I'm not looking for forgiveness... But I... I know why Howard was without a backup..."

Tony froze. "What are you saying..?"

"Our boss... Mike Franks... I don't know if you remember him..."

Tony raised his eyebrow and the look on his face said '_oh really?_'. Valentine almost chuckled at that. While the brothers weren't really brothers, he couldn't help but see his former partner all over this young fellow. It brought him plenty of mixed feelings. Some of them were bittersweet.

"He messed up... Big time..."

"Tell me." Tony hissed.

* * *

><p>"What did you do?" Those were the first words Gibbs spoke after marching in the Director's office. While Tom hadn't said anything, there was suddenly a painful twist in his gut and he just knew. He knew he wasn't going to like what his sometimes Director and sometimes friend was going to say to him.<p>

Tom grimaced inwardly. Leaning back on his chair he let out a huff of breath. "Jethro... Do you remember my warning to you, before you scared off the latest Agent I put in your team? A very good one too, I must say. A little green, sure, but that's why we call them Probationary Agents first."

The look on Gibbs's face was an odd combination of glare and smirk. "Yeah. And I warned _you_ to not keep sending incompetent people in my team."

Shaking his head, Tom took out a file and held it out for his Agent to take, who was too used to this by now and didn't move from his spot and simply crossed his arms with a stubborn stare.

"Take it, Jethro. It's your new Agent, whether you like it or not."

"Why bother? Not like that one is gonna last any longer than the others."

"Alright... I'll lay down the law then." Tom glared and dropped the file on his desk. His glare may not have been the infamous 'Gibbs glare', but it was close enough.

"Agent DiNozzo..."

Gibbs perked up hearing the name and then he frowned. Having that feeling in his gut again.

"As we are speaking now, he is on his way to a crime scene..."

"What?"

"...to work with his new team. I put him in another team, Jethro." Tom finished. It was simple and short. There was no need for long speeches with Agent Gibbs. Those didn't work on him any more than the short and to the point ones would.

He had known it would happen and he had mentally prepared for it for days now. Still, when it did happen, he couldn't help the flinch and he even wondered for a good few seconds if he should have actually called in a few Agents in case Gibbs needed to be restrained, so he wouldn't end up killing him in his fury.

Gibbs exploded and that was putting it lightly. It was supernova Gibbs gone wild. Several things crashed on the floor as he jumped forward and slammed his hands on the desk. You could hear the crack when his fist connected with the desk again. "You had _no_ right! He's _my_ Agent!"

Tom kept his calm and looked the beast straight in the eyes. "I had every right, Jethro. He's not yours. He's my Agent. You brought this on you. I _warned_ you. I warned you that I would have a proper punishment waiting for you."

"He's not a tool to be used! He has nothing to do with this!" Gibbs snarled. He was actually showing his teeth and for a moment Tom could almost swear he saw steam coming from his nostrils. Those who had lately nicknamed him the dragon, had not seen the real thing yet...

"Of course he's not. I want to keep him working for us and not let you scare the kid away before he has even gotten used to working as an Agent."

"_I_ picked him! I found him and chose him! I won't let you do this, Tom!"

Tom sighed. "Jethro... This won't have to be permanent..."

Gibbs actually calmed down for a bit. Just barely.

"One year. You will take this new Agent..." Tom tapped the file with his finger. The file which was one of the few things not on the floor now. All thanks to him grabbing it in time.

"...and make sure that the man wants to work with you that one full year. Without threatening him to agree to stay. One year, Jethro. And if by then Agent DiNozzo still wants to work with you, you can have him."

"Tom... There's no need to use DiNozzo to punish me."

"The way I see it I'm doing him a great favor. You've got to see that. Deep down I'm sure you do. I don't know what's going on in your head lately, but you've been worse than your usual bastard self. And that is saying something. I don't want to fire you. I'd be crazy to do that. You are a good Agent... But I can't let you roam around like a mad dog. Scaring away all the other good Agents. As green as they may be, one of them could have become something big in the future. We can't afford to keep losing them. I know you know that."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes, but then he snatched the file from the desk. Of course he wouldn't be Gibbs if he didn't have the last word. Walking to the door, he stopped once more and turned around, with pure fury in his eyes. A promise that there would be plenty of stressful moments coming for the Director...

"This won't end here!"

_ **End of Part 2.** _


	3. Only Time Will Tell Where We Stand

Marching down the stairs to the bullpen, Gibbs ignored the curious looks coming from Blackadder. Then Chris Pacci rolled his chair closer to them and asked the question that made Gibbs want to punch something or some_one_. He had spent few minutes outside the Director's office, trying to calm himself down for a change.

"So, what did Morrow want?"

"I'm pretty sure you know what." Gibbs snapped and sat down behind his desk. Chris simply chuckled. He was one of the few people who was, more or less, used to Gibbs and his moods. Of course, even he knew when to stay away from the older Agent's firing range.

"You know, Gibbs... This didn't have to happen..." Christ started. He saw the way the older man was clenching his teeth together so he knew his time was very limited.

"You could right now be ordering around your new Agent... Instead, Tony will be handed over to someone else."

Vivian perked up at that and her frown turned into a smile. She looked bit too gleeful for her own good. "DiNozzo won't be joining us?"

Gibbs glared at her, but it was Pacci who set things straight. "No. He won't. Agent DiNozzo will be put in another team. Director is using him to punish your boss."

"What are you talking about?" Vivian frowned again and Chris felt secret pleasure, knowing he was the cause of that. It wasn't that he hated the woman, but he certainly wasn't a fan either. And then there was her general attitude... It was a miracle she and Gibbs hadn't killed each other yet.

"Tony is the 'instrument' here for the Director to try to control Gibbs. If he manages to do what he's been told to do, then he can have DiNozzo." Chris wasn't smiling anymore. Instead there was dead serious look on his face. Remembering what had happened between Tony and Brent Langer, he hoped everything would turn out alright. Hopefully the woman would have either left or grown into a proper partner to work with by the time Tony would join their team. And he knew he would. He had known Agent Gibbs long enough to know that the man would get what he wanted, one way or another. But of course there was now also the unknown variable DiNozzo, so nothing had been set on the stone just yet...

Having said all he had wanted to say, Chris rolled back to his own desk. Hoping he would still be there by the time Tony's new team would return.

Vivian scowled at the paperwork on her desk. "I don't get it... What's so special about him..?"

"He has more skills and natural talent in his pinky, than you could begin to even hope to have." Gibbs snapped. He hadn't gotten along with the woman since day one. She was far too much into her personal issues and goals to avenge her brother's death. Her mind was far too often focused on that, instead of where it should have been. Like watching your partner's six.

Not expecting and not getting any answer, Gibbs opened the file Tom had given to him. He scanned over the papers lazily and wasn't bothering to memorize even the name of the new Agent. It was Steve something. That much he could remember and as far as he was concerned, he didn't need to know anything else. He closed the file after few minutes and thought for a moment about throwing it in the trash can. You know, just to show how much he didn't like being played. Instead he pushed it among his other files. The growing mountain of files which he now stared at with disgust.

* * *

><p>Tony's team returned to the Navy Yard several hours later. After finding a lead, they ended up spending time outside much longer than they had thought they would. Stepping in the bullpen, Tony was joking about something with Nathan. He saw from the corner of his eye Gibbs staring at them, with gleam in his eyes.<p>

"Is it okay if..?" He looked at Valentine who also had noticed the Agent glaring at them, or maybe at him, the man who had 'stolen' something that was his. While Valentine didn't know the man personally, having only recently transferred back in the city, he had heard enough rumors to know that the Agent was a possessive bastard and it didn't matter if this situation was something their Director had decided.

"Sure... We all could use a little coffee break... And maybe get some food while we're at it. Thirty minutes."

Tony nodded with a tight smile and walked straight to Gibbs's desk. Vivian tried her best to ignore him, but it was pretty distracting having those two just staring at each other silently.

"So... It's been a while..." Tony finally spoke, but Gibbs remained silent.

"Come on, Gibbs... Help me out a little? Coffee break? You sure look like you need some. Coffee I mean." Tony hid his grin. Gibbs still didn't say anything, but he stood up and walked to the elevator and Tony took it as a sign to follow. Vivian finally looked up.

"What about me?" She never got the answer.

Few minutes later, both men were sitting in a busy and small coffeehouse, close to the Navy Yard. Finally having his coffee, Gibbs had relaxed enough to talk. "You doing okay? Ducky seen you yet?"

"Sure... I've been throughly examined by the good doctor... Already almost as good as new."

"You happy in that team?"

Tony kept his face impassive. Sure, to his surprise he actually had enjoyed his first day so far, but there was no way he could tell that to Gibbs. Not this soon anyway. "It's alright..."

Gibbs snorted and stared at the long scratch mark he had spotted on the young man's left hand. Of course Tony noticed his stare and hid his hand under the small table. "It's just a scratch. Nothing serious. You know I've had much worse than that."

"What happened?" While it may have sounded like a simple question to some, Tony knew it was more of an order to tell the truth. And of course he lied without blinking an eye, while looking Gibbs straight in the eyes. There was no need to tell that their suspect had gotten a little too aggressive with her long sharp nails. Such a small incident, but he wasn't going to test his luck by letting his almost boss know how on his very first day he got hurt. Even if it really was just a scratch.

"A cat."

"A what?"

"Cat. Came out of nowhere. I guess it didn't like me very much."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes in suspicion, but didn't say anything. Tony studied the man and frowned at what he saw. Gibbs had lost some weight since he last saw him and the skin under his eyes was dark. All in all he looked stressed out and like he hadn't been sleeping that much lately...

"So... How's Shannon and Kelly?" He asked and the flinch he almost missed seeing, told him that he had hit straight to the root of the problem.

"Fine." Was the short answer.

"You've slept in the basement lately? Trouble in paradise?" Tony asked the questions with innocent look on his face and Gibbs just stared at him.

"It wouldn't happen to have anything to do with Kelly and her boyfriend?"

"Abby?" Gibbs asked wryly. He had a feeling he should just get used to the young man knowing what others didn't. Everyone else pretty much just assumed it was all because of the cases he'd been working on lately. Which did play their part, but were not the root cause.

Tony grinned. "Shannon actually."

"You've talked to my wife?" Gibbs was surprised and slightly irritated.

Tony shrugged. "She's talking and I'm listening. I've got to tell you, Gibbs... You better apologize and fix things soon. It's kind of awkward when another man's wife calls you to rant about their marriage and family life problems..."

Gibbs winced. He tried not to think about just how much Shannon shared with the young man. Ever since finding out the truth about Tony, his wife had practically adopted the kid, without DiNozzo even realizing it. He could tell that her behavior only confused the boy.

"Don't worry. She doesn't get into anything too intimate. Thank God for that." Thank God indeed. Knowing Gibbs's most intimate secrets was not something he cared to know about...

"You really should talk more with her. I mean the woman loves you. That's something. If I were you, I'd hold on tight."

With a snort, Gibbs raised his cup of coffee and took a long sip. It was surprising how easily the willingness to share came to him. It was something that was usually very unnatural for him to do. Yet here he was... Opening his mouth again. "It seems this is serious this time..."

Tony nodded knowingly. "Ah... You tried to scare him off like all the others, but instead he might be 'the one' as he refuses to back off and now you've upset your girls... Not cool, Gibbs."

"Just wait when you're a father of a girl..."

Tony stiffened and dropped his gaze to his coffee. "Never gonna happen. I'm not a parent material. Not the type to settle down either."

Gibbs studied the forced smile. Months ago he wouldn't have been able to tell the difference between those smiles, but he was slowly starting to get better at it. "That so? Well... You never know...

"Nope. Never." Tony almost snapped. He'd made the decision when he was just a kid. To never become a father. All thanks to his own parents for showing him their idea of a 'parent's love'. Adding to that their genes and he couldn't see any child of his ever being happy or not messed up.

Leaving the issue for another time, Gibbs smiled wryly. "Sure, the guy seems alright... But he wants to move to _Africa_ in a few years..."

Tony felt grateful that the subject was dropped. Although he knew what Gibbs was doing. It both irritated him and made him appreciate the gesture. "And you're afraid that your little girl is going to go with him and you're never going to see her again... You know there's this amazing new invention called airplanes?"

Gibbs rolled his eyes and with a slight twinkle in his eyes he teased the young man. "I wouldn't mind it as much if she'd have chosen you... Would at least keep her here. Could still happen. After all, you were her 'first love'. She still doesn't know you're alive."

"Don't even joke about it..." Tony made a face. While he may not have nothing against the young woman, he didn't feel tempted by the idea of having Gibbs as his father-in-law. That was just asking for trouble. He didn't have to see it himself to know that Gibbs was the kind of father that wouldn't make life easy for any of his little girl's boyfriends or a husband. While he was a guy, it kind of made him feel envious, to have a father care about you that much...

"What are you saying, Dinozzo? My daughter is not good enough for you?"

"What..? I never said that..! I'm just not trying to marry into your family. Isn't it more than enough having you around at work now?"

Gibbs chuckled. It had been a while since he was in such a good mood. "You're still coming to our place after work today."

"Is that so?"

"Shannon's orders. Not mine. And you'll finally meet Kelly. She's still at home for a few more days before going back."

"Right... Well, if she's telling me to come, then who am I to argue?"

"Attaboy... You're learning fast..."

_ **End of Part 3.** _


	4. Dinner Time

After tiresome first day, Tony wasn't sure he was up to Gibbs family dinner time. Had it been just Gibbs himself inviting him, he would've wormed his way out of it somehow, but he didn't want to upset Shannon... So as he picked up his things, he ignored the desire to just go to sleep and followed Gibbs in the elevator. Neither man was in the mood to speak and both had used up their need to talk during that coffee break.

The older man had finished earlier and even sent Vivian on her way, but had himself stalked around the bullpen, until team Valentine was done as well. He had wandered around the bullpen, with a coffee in his hands and his ice-cold gaze never leaving certain work area for more than few seconds. He was like a shark circling around a boat. It had made everyone else in the bullpen nervous. Having been through the Agent's 'mood swings' for such a long time now, you couldn't blame them. Tony had simply tuned it out and focused doing his work. It was a skill the other two in his team envied.

The first day had been interesting to say the least and not because of their case which was solved rather quickly. Tony had realized with confusion that he was the center of much gossip and unwanted attention. And not all of it was bad. As his '_welcome to the NCIS_' gift, his new desk was filled with gifts during his break. Noticing most of them were from the women, he remembered to flash his famous smile and say '_thank you, ladies_' with a loud voice, receiving smiles in return.

All of the gifts had been basically some snacks and cards, which he had put away in his desk drawer. All but one and it had no card on it, but it didn't need one. It was almost a human sized stuffed silver-gray bear, with ice blue eyes and wearing a Marine uniform. It was perfect all the way to the hair, which was cut Marine style and the bear had a scowl on its face. It was holding a smaller brown and green-eyed baby bear. Tony had to bite his lip to stop himself from laughing. Trust Abby to do something like that... While he knew he would have trouble figuring out where to put that monster of a toy, he made sure to thank the young woman personally. With a kiss on her forehead, but escaping before he was caught in the 'Abby hug'.

Ducky had smiled a secret smile when Tony wondered how she was allowed to even bring it anywhere close to the Navy Yard and then complained how he had no place or room for the bear, but because it was a gift from her, he couldn't give it away either. He was a grown man and had never played with toys that much even as a kid, so he had no idea what to do with it.

Gibbs finally spoke, when they were already getting in their cars. Tony in his current rental. Like his apartment, he had yet to find a new one.

"You're not gonna get it in, DiNozzo." Gibbs pointed out as Tony opened the backseat door.

"Watch me." Tony muttered and several curses later, and with some help from Gibbs, the bear was in. He didn't want to think about how he was going to get it out...

"You sure you're up to this..?" Gibbs was starting to regret for making the invitation more of a command than a request... It certainly had been a long first day. While normally it wouldn't feel that long, compared to the worst hours they could end up pulling off and what DiNozzo himself was used to, everything was still new and maybe too much for someone who had just been on sick leave for a couple of months.

"I'm fine, Gibbs..." He almost added, '_let's get it done with_', but Tony had a pretty good feeling it would not be a good idea.

"You told me your wife has been waiting for this. And I'm not one to turn down one of her meals..." Tony smirked tiredly.

Gibbs tried studying him for a while and decided to at least make him sleep in the guest room later. "Alright... Let's get going then."

* * *

><p>Gibbs had mentioned that they hadn't yet told Kelly about him, so Tony was a little nervous how this would go. He felt guilty how apparently she had thought a lot about him for a long time. He had never even thought that their very short meeting, during such a traumatic event, could have meant so much to these people. He defended himself with the fact that he had owed them nothing and still didn't. Sure, he liked Shannon and even Gibbs was kind of alright. <em>Kind of<em>. But he had no reason to feel guilty. So why was he feeling that way then?

"Tony!" Shannon smiled when he and her husband stepped inside the house. She was wearing an apron and after quickly wiping her hands on it, she took Tony in a loving hug.

Despite allowing it the first time, Tony had still not gotten used to her hugging him. At first the motherly feel she had on her, had been strangely almost comforting to him. Now it was just yet another reminder of what he'd never had. When still alive, his own mother would never even get anywhere near the kitchen. She didn't smell like a mother either. Alcohol and the strong stench of it, that's what he associated her mother with to this day. And she had never been one to show any kind of affection, unless she was heavily drunk and even then it wasn't a gentle kind of love. As a kid he'd never understood how wrong it was, but he loved those moments either way.

_God_... He missed his mother... What kind of person did that make him..? He knew what his 'father' thought of him, but he wondered about his mother. Had she loved him? Even if it was in her own way? He wanted to think so... That at least one of his parents hadn't completely hated his entire existence. But try as he did, he couldn't shake off the dark memories that were wrapping him into a tight hug.

"Are you feeling cold, sweetie?" Shannon had noticed how the young man was shivering slightly and she stepped away to take a better look at him.

Smiling nervously, Tony shrugged. "Just a little. It'll pass."

"Nonsense... I'll go make you some hot chocolate."

"Mom?" Another voice spoke, which Tony didn't recognize, but that could have something to do with the fact that the young woman who had spoken had changed a lot since he last saw her. Grown up from a sweet little girl, into this woman who barely had any of that child left on her face.

Gibbs and Shannon shared a look which didn't go unnoticed and Kelly raised her eyebrow in a very 'Gibbs like manner'. There was no doubt whose daughter she was... She glanced between them suspiciously for a while and Tony found it fascinating how the mighty Gibbs couldn't keep his eyes on her for a long time and the guilt was written all over his face.

"What's going on?" She finally asked and sighed annoyed, when her parents looked like they had lost their ability to speak. The two really hadn't thought about this situation properly. It had seemed simple at the time, to just bring Tony there and tell her who he was.

It turns out that Tony had no reason to feel nervous how Kelly would react and the parents had no need to worry how to explain this to their daughter. The girl, _young woman_, surprised them all.

Since her parents seemed pretty useless now, Kelly turned her attention on the young man. Hoping he would give her some answers. She secretly hoped this wasn't her dad's attempt at trying to 'marry her off' to some guy he had chosen as his last and desperate act, just so she wouldn't decide to marry her boyfriend. The man who was going to move to Africa. Far away from both of their families. In a place where they would be lucky if they had a working phone or even a running water.

Studying the handsome young man who looked like someone who was hoping to be anywhere else but there, it only took her a few seconds of studying him and those familiar green eyes of his, that it clicked. Kelly looked at her parents in triumph. She had a smug look and she held her hands on her hips. "I _knew_ it! I knew he's alive! I _told_ you so!"

Recovering first, Tony cleared his throat. "I'm sorry..?"

Shaking her head at her parents, Kelly stepped forward and took his hands in hers. "You're Tony! I mean, _sure_... You're taller now, but you haven't changed that much."

There was twitch on his right eye, but Tony didn't say anything. Not what he thought about that implication anyway. Instead he forced one of his smiles on his face. "It's good to know not everyone thought I was dead then. _You_ certainly have changed a lot."

Kelly frowned at the smile. She glanced at her parents, but Gibbs shrugged and Shannon just smiled happily, with tears in her eyes. Looking back at her childhood crush, Kelly decided to file this for later and much safer situation. The young man looked already about ready to bolt out of the door and he kept rubbing his hands together, looking cold. But more than anything, he looked tired. Just what were her parents thinking..? They didn't have to make him come just for _her_ sake... She was a big girl. A grown up, just like them. When could they accept that..?

"Well, I must admit that this is a surprise. They told me we would have a guest, but I never thought... Come. I'll make you some hot chocolate. I have my own secret recipe. If you promise to keep your mouth shut, I'll share it with you. It includes marshmallows, but that's just one step..."

Gibbs and Shannon stared as their daughter took Tony's hand in hers and pulled him towards the kitchen, talking a mile a minute, as if she was talking to an old friend.

"I must say, Jethro... That our daughter keeps surprising us every day..." Shannon said slowly. Again, she felt sad at the thought of how grown up their little girl really was. She no longer was that young child who was happy to share even most of her secrets with her mom and dad. Now they were lucky to just get a phone call once a week, to let her parents know she was doing great. Had a life of her own, without her parents in it. While not using those words, that's the kind of message the two of them got either way.

Gibbs grumbled something from under his breath. Looking annoyed. "She only saw him for what, a minute? And she's already sharing with him her and Maddie's secrets... Even _I_ don't know that one."

"Oh Jethro..." Shannon chuckled. They listened to the chatter coming from the kitchen. Tony had barely spoken a word, but it seemed Kelly didn't mind.

"So what are you doing for a living?" She asked and Tony was glad to talk about something else, other than their shared past and his youthful looks.

* * *

><p>The dinner was nice and much to his surprise he was actually enjoying it all. He was not talking much about himself, other than sharing the most basic things, but that seemed to be fine with the family who were all too happy to share their own life stories. Even if he was mostly just sitting there listening and smiling like a fool. His smile frozen to his face.<p>

Although not surprised, but Kelly had seemed both glad and worried to find out he was her dad's work partner. Of course she didn't know the complete truth, since Gibbs had kind of left out a few details, after telling his wife for weeks how the two of them would become his dream team. Something he had never even wanted before.

Tony knew he would never truly get over losing two loves of his life and in such a brutal way, but for the first time he truly felt glad the women were alive. Not that he'd been having any 'ill will' towards them, but for the first time he was truly happy this happy family had not been destroyed. Even Gibbs looked so much more relaxed around his girls. He was even joking with them, with a twinkle in his eyes, which you never saw at work.

"So how was your first day at work?" Shannon asked, somehow making the question sound more like '_how was your first day at school?_'.

Tony shrugged. "It was alright. Just a little different than being a Detective, but interesting. I'll know better after I've gotten used to the different kind of routine."

Looking nonchalantly at Gibbs, he finally asked him with a feigned curiosity what he'd been planning to ask since arriving to the house. "So, your boss was Mike Franks? What was it like working with him? I mean, what kind of boss was he?"

Gibbs blinked at the surprising question and smiled. "He's a good man. I learned so much from him and I respect and owe him so much. He's the one that set me straight after I started becoming too obsessed with trying to catch the bastard who... He reminded me that my family is still with me. That we still had each other. He also taught me many of my rules."

It was Kelly who noticed the dark look crossing Tony's face, when he thought no one was looking and he forced that unsettling smile on his face again.

"I see. Sounds like such a wonderful guy. To care _so_ much about family and rules." Tony replied and Gibbs looked at him with a crooked smile and nodded.

"I owe him so much..." He repeated.

After that there was a silence as they finished their dinner. It was then that Gibbs finally decides to be honest with his family. To tell the truth about his part of what had happened in the past. He felt like he owed the kid at least that much.

"You know... While you two were in the hospital back then... I..." _God, this is too hard_...

Tony slammed his hand on the table, startling everyone and getting their attention. Smiling sheepishly, he laughed. "Sorry. Didn't mean to startle. I just missed the glass."

The girls relaxed, but Gibbs frowned at the intense look Tony gave him. Or rather, Tony glared at him for a good ten seconds. Just _daring_ him to keep talking.

"So, Shannon... Is it true when I heard that your chicken casserole is famous?"

* * *

><p>Much later, as they had kept talking all the way to the night and Tony had once again become quiet, the others noticed how their young guest kept nodding off and clearly not even focusing on what they were talking.<p>

Tony regretted staying up the night before this day, but he'd been far too nervous to get any sleep. So he'd spent his entire last night watching movies and going for a run. Twice. It hadn't helped and the nervous energy got only worse as the day got closer. And now he was paying the price. He was too tired to even think about the car drive waiting for him. His only hope right now was for them to finally 'dismiss' him or stop talking for a while, so he could let them know he _really_ should be going now...

"I'll take him..." Gibbs spoke quietly and there was no question whether or not Tony would be sleeping in the guest room.

"Jethro... Your 'timeout' is over..." Shannon spoke, when Gibbs stood up. She had a small smile on her lips.

Kelly rolled her eyes. "Mom... I'm not a child. Don't think that I don't get the 'hidden' meanings by now..."

Gibbs just smirked and as he helped Tony upstairs without much protesting, he felt much calmer and happier now that almost everything seemed right. If only he could get Morrow to change his mind about them being partners... For the first time, he truly _did_ regret his actions at work, not that he could admit that.

"Why did you do it? Why did you stop me?" He asked when he helped the sleepy man to bed.

Tony blinked his bleary eyes and yawned. "Don't need more drama... It's between me and you... Has nothing to do with them..."

"Come on, DiNozzo... You really believe they would think that?"

"I's all in the past... Le'go..." Tony slurred his reply.

"Tony... They can handle it... Sure, they'll beat my ass for it and I'll receive a fitting punishment, but I deserve it and you of all the people know it..."

Tony sighed and with his willpower, forced himself to speak out the words without slurring. He had to focus hard. "Gibbs... Not gonna forget... Will maybe always... you know... Feel nervous when you're holding a gun around me... Or when you're drunk... But... I trust you enough to warn me before shooting me... Just too tired to hold on to the hate towards you anymore... Too many other issues already... Just let me have it this way... It's between me and you... Let it be that way..."

With a sigh, Gibbs couldn't help but think he didn't deserve it. "Goodnight, Tony..."

"G'night, Gibbs..." Tony mumbled his reply, already asleep.

_ **End of Part 4.** _


	5. Not So Subtle

The following week seemed to go by in a flash. Tony was quickly becoming used to being an Agent and he always remembered to use the correct title with his name. He wouldn't be so good at undercover work if he wasn't good at adjusting to new situations fast.

Gibbs on the other hand was unnaturally quiet. One would think it helped everyone around him to relax some and do their job better, but instead it only had everyone on edge. They were just waiting for the big explosion to happen. His jaw had to hurt by now, from the way he kept clenching his teeth together whenever he so much as heard anyone mention '_that new Agent_'.

In his mind, Tony was and would be his Agent._ He_ found him._ He_ chose him. So of course the young Agent was _his_. Even he knew how childish his thoughts had to sound like, but it felt perfectly logical for him to feel that way. That Val guy didn't find him. What kind of name was that anyway and where on earth did they dig him out? The NCIS didn't find DiNozzo. _He_ did. But for appearance's sake Gibbs did try to 'behave'. He really did. But you can't put a leash on a wild, _and old_, dog and expect it to take the treatment like a good boy. A week was way more of this than Gibbs could take. There was no way he would be able to take this for an entire _year_... Having DiNozzo right there where he could see him everyday, but working for some incompetent man who didn't seem like someone fit to be bossing around anyone.

Gibbs snorted in disgust at the disgustingly sweet dessert team Valentine was sharing with their coffee. At this rate, DiNozzo's full potential would never be reached...There _had_ to be a way around this...

"You got anything yet?" Gibbs in _his_ mind had asked that in a neutral tone, but Vivian flinched as if he had yelled at her. Why was it that when he did as everyone wanted, they were much more on edge than when he didn't hold back his temper?

"Uh... No..." Vivian averted her eyes from her boss. It felt like ever since Gibbs had stopped his usual growling, the scary look in his eyes was much more terrifying. Gibbs glared at her without saying anything and she swallowed hard, feeling the stare.

"I'll... Uh... I'll work harder. Boss."

Shaking his head, Gibbs stood up. Grabbing the case files from his desk, he walked away, leaving surprised Vivian stare after him and wondering if she should follow him. She was no mind reader, but clearly her boss was one of those people who required it.

Team Valentine was looking so relaxed and happy that it really was yet one more thing to piss him off with. Without saying anything, Gibbs walked straight to Tony's desk and dropped the case files on his desk. Narrowly missing the coffee cup. Tony stopped eating and looked up and then at the files on his desk. Then he looked at the older man again.

"Gibbs?"

Gibbs just stared silently. The man had gone from growling to sulking and Tony kind of felt sorry for him. While it was good that the older man was trying to behave, even if for the appearances sake only, this wasn't good either. Not for anyone. It was like watching and waiting for a volcano to erupt as the pressure inside just kept growing and almost anyone around him could feel it. This calm and almost mute Gibbs was disturbing, even if it was much calmer to work in the bullpen now. At least from what he had heard everyone telling him, since he himself hadn't been there to see the worst of it.

Something had to be done, sooner rather than later...

"You want me to look at the case? To see if I spot something?" He asked. Having already seen the way team Gibbs was struggling with their case. And since the new Agent would only arrive later next week, the two were on their own... Struggling between the difficult case, their clashing personalities and whatever else there was that didn't work between them as a team.

Gibbs nodded his answer and Tony bit back a smile before focusing on the files, under the curious and wary glances of his teammates. It takes him full seven minutes to flip through the papers, scan them over and spot a few things that could be helpful on the case. Things that some might overlook at first glance. Writing them down on a few post-it notes, he sticked the notes on the papers. "Oh, and do they have a child?"

"No..." Gibbs frowned and then looked at Tony curiously.

"Well... One would think so, with a shopping list like this. Not very subtle I'd say. I mean if you know what to look for... I bet if you ask, they'll claim it's for some child of their relative or something... Wouldn't hurt to check up on it though..."

Gibbs nodded and while his expression didn't change, there's that twinkle in his eyes that tells Tony he's done good and made the man proud. Taking the file, Gibbs walked away.

"You're welcome!" Tony shook his head and went back to eating his share of the dessert and drinking coffee.

"So good... What?" He asked, with his mouth full and lips covered in frosting.

Nathan shook his head, looking both amused and baffled. "Nothing... Just... How come he comes to ask _you_ and not anyone else in the whole bullpen? Oh, and not looking like he wants to bite your head off? Why don't _you_ look like he could bite your head off?"

Tony grinned and glanced towards their quiet boss. "_You_ tell him."

Valentine cleared his throat. "DiNozzo is only 'for loan' in our team... And Agent Gibbs is looking for an opportunity to get back what was supposed to be 'his'. If I were you, I wouldn't turn my back on the bastard."

Tony laughed. "I can't believe it... You actually made a joke. It was a joke, right? Maybe you're not such a hopeless case after all, Val."

Valentine shrugged. "I told you that's not my name, DiNozzo..."

The smile on Nathan's face fell as his mind was still playing around the '_only for loan_' part. "What..?"

Tony sighed. He was not in the mood to explain the situation. If he was honest, he never would be. "You heard him."

"But..." Nathan frowned, looking awfully upset at the thought. As it didn't look like Tony was about to explain the 'deal' to Nathan, Valentine sighed heavily and started explaining it all to Nathan, who looked anything but pleased by what he was being told...

Meanwhile, Gibbs had made Vivian do some deeper search on their victims, while he himself stared at the papers in front of him, without really seeing them. If this didn't prove it, then he didn't know what would. He wanted, _needed_, DiNozzo. Blackadder didn't impress him as usual and he didn't have any high hopes for the new guy that was coming either. He either wanted to work alone, _his way_, or have a partner who would complete him and this team.

"He was right..." Vivian sounded unhappy and Gibbs looked at her with a scowl. Oh yeah. He _would_ find a way...

"Was he?"

"Oh, please... You knew he would be. You only made me do this so you could shove it on my face just how much better DiNozzo is than me."

"Really?" Gibbs narrowed his eyes and the woman averted her fiery eyes from him.

"I'll call them back and tell we have some more questions..." She mumbled and picked up her phone.

Gibbs stood up. He needed some coffee or things would soon turn ugly... "You do that and if they get here before I'm back, you wait for me before you do _anything_... If I find out you even moved your finger without my permission..."

Vivian rolled her eyes once her boss was gone. He always treated her like some probie who knew no better and it infuriated her. Each and every day she wondered why she bothered staying when any sane person would've, _and had_, already left. But she had a goal to reach. To avenge the death of her brother, she needed the NCIS. So once again she forced herself to take a few calming breaths before calling their victims, who were now possible suspects...

* * *

><p>As Tony returned to the Navy Yard later that evening, he was exhausted, but happy. He had always loved fieldwork. It beat working behind the desk any day. One of the many reasons why he could have never been the kind of son his father had wanted. While he could have had it in him, what was needed to run a big business corporation with the big money involved, he never had the desire for that life even as a kid. To waste his youth sitting on some leather chair and just making sure even more money kept coming in his pockets. While at the same time leaving his family without his love and care. Choosing to spend his time either at work or in a strange woman's bed... God... Was he a bad person for hating Senior..?<p>

"You alright, Tony?" Nathan asked, when Tony just stood there in front of his desk, with a dark look in his eyes that sent shivers down the older man's spine.

Tony smiled easily. "Yeah. I was just thinking about something."

Nathan nodded knowingly. "The case, right? It can be pretty bad, the things we see in our world... I hate to say it, but you'll get used to it."

It was close that Tony mentioned he'd seen as a cop things far worse than their case and had been used to it for some time now, but he just smiled and sat down. Seeing the still steaming hot cup of coffee on his desk, his dark thoughts are forgotten for a moment.

"Where did that come from?" Nathan asked, feeling a little disappointed that there wasn't one on his desk also. He really could use one now... Their boss simply shook his head and muttered something. Having seen a certain silver-haired man walking away from the desk, just a moment before they stepped in the bullpen.

Tony grinned widely and glanced from the corner of his eye towards Gibbs's working area. He knew the man had already closed their own case so it was kind of moving that he would stay behind, just to deliver the coffee while it was still hot.

"Just a little thank you from a big old- _Ow_!" Tony rubbed the back of his head and glanced up with a sly smirk on his face. Gibbs stood there with his eyebrows raised.

"My apologies. I meant well-preserved."

Both Nathan and Valentine stared with wide eyes. Nathan even took a step towards Gibbs, to hit the man back, with a fist. He didn't see anything funny about the head slap, but a man who had assaulted his teammate.

The smile was gone from Tony's face and he stood up, taking hold of his partner's shoulder. "Nathan... It's cool, man."

"How can you even say that? That bastard just-"

"Nate... It's cool. _I'm_ cool with it." Tony had a dead serious look on his face. He couldn't exactly tell them that he'd had much worse than a little slap on his head.

Nathan looked upset and with a sharp turn he walked away. His whole posture was just screaming at them how mad he was. Tony was feeling uncertain, whether he should follow after the man or stay where he was.

"He'll be okay." Valentine said calmly.

"But..."

"It's just who he is. He'll be back to his smiling self by tomorrow. Trust me. As long as everything really is alright..." Valentine actually dared to glare at Gibbs. Once. But he certainly was no challenge to the old bastard who won with a single glance at him.

"I don't want to see you 'borrowing' him again, Agent Gibbs. What happened today, better not happen again or I will have to talk to the Director..." It would have sounded much more convincing had Valentine been able to face the infamous Gibbs glare that was now fully pointed at him.

Before things could turn ugly, Tony took his cup of coffee and walked away. "I'll see you in the morning, Val!"

"Yeah... Get some sleep." Valentine was relieved when Gibbs turned around and followed Tony. He could finally understand what all the big talk about Agent Gibbs had been...

While he was both impressed and glad that DiNozzo was able to somehow control the beast, he worried what spending time around a man like this could do to his young Agent. Temporary or not. He felt like he owed his former partner that much. To look after his brother. While there had been bad blood between him and his SFA back then, he regretted his young arrogance from those days... And he remembered all too well how much his partner cared about his brother. From the photos on his desk to the way the man's voice would soften whenever he even mentioned Tony.

"I'm trying... But your brother doesn't make it easy... He really should pick his company better, but I guess he wouldn't be your brother if he took the easy way..." He muttered to himself. And Valentine knew he certainly didn't have what it took to take down someone like that former Marine, would it ever come to such situation where it was needed.

Noticing that he was now alone, he took out few files from his bottom drawer. Perhaps it was time to finish this and let DiNozzo do the rest... Everything he had gathered from that tragic day all those years ago. Including what part his former boss had in it. Embarrassing for an Agent like Mike Franks, but by no means could anything less shameful justify his actions either...

* * *

><p>The two Agents had decided to get something to eat and since apparently Gibbs couldn't live without his coffee, they were now both eating some pizza and drinking coffee. Or rather, Tony was eating most of it and Gibbs was drinking his coffee. He frowned when the younger man looked and acted like he hadn't seen food in days.<p>

"You found a place yet?" Gibbs asked. From what Abby had told him, the young man wasn't too picky about the apartment he would rent, as long as his new big TV would fit in the living room and the place had a nice bathroom with a big bathtub.

They all had offered Tony their guest room until the perfect apartment was found, but he turned down all the offers, saying he really needed his own space after work and everyone understood that. They really did, even if they didn't like it. Especially Gibbs was annoyed that even his guest room wasn't accepted. Especially when Shannon kept nagging to him about it. Like it was_ his_ fault that the kid didn't want their help...

"Mmhm..." Tony nodded, with his mouth full of pizza.

"It's alright." He answered when Gibbs kept staring at him.

"Alright?"

"Good enough for me." Tony shrugged and Gibbs swore to find out the address and decide himself whether it was 'good enough' or not...

"Don't give me that look, Gibbs. I already have both Abby _and_ Ducky on my back for it. I mean, _one_ I could take, but _both_ of them mad at me..? She's making me a list of all the potentially fatal accidents or crimes that could happen to me. He's making me a list of all the health issues I could end up with while living there."

"Good."

"You're being a bastard again. I'm kind of relieved."

Gibbs gave Tony 'that look' again.

"Meek and quiet... Okay, maybe 'meek' is a bit too strong word, but you know what I mean. Not yelling at your Agent even when she messes up with the chain of evidence... That's not you. I mean _I_ would've had a hard time not just strangling her then and there, for almost giving a dangerous criminal a loophole out of prison. You're not dying or anything?"

"You _know_ why I'm this way, DiNozzo. Don't tell me you don't know." Gibbs growled and Tony chuckled.

"Relax... I just meant that you don't have to completely stop being you... Just... Moderating where and how much you unleash '_the you_' should be enough... You don't have to turn it off completely. It really affects the people around you, almost as much as if you were screaming all the time."

Gibbs hid his crooked smile and Tony narrowed his eyes, shaking his head. "Oh no. And that's not a permission to turn back into the mad bear either. Save that for the criminals that need to feel scared. Anymore of that where it doesn't belong and I might just have to 'put you down' myself. I've heard more than enough horror stories from the others. You really lost your marbles for a while there... You need to work on your 'people skills' and definitely work on your marriage before your lovely wife does more than send you in the basement... And I'm sure Kelly's boyfriend isn't that bad. I bet even your gut agrees with you, so start by apologizing to her while you still can... Trust me... Once she's had enough, she's had enough and then things will be a whole lot more complicated between you two... But if the guy does hurt her, I will hold him down for you."

Gibbs didn't say anything, but strangely he didn't even need to say anything for Tony to know he got the message. After that, the men finished their pizza and coffee in silence and then stood up.

Tony had asked Gibbs to come with him before they left the Navy Yard. Claiming it was a matter of life and death if he didn't come, but the older man still had no idea what it could be. However, when they only a moment later stepped inside the big room that had a '_closed_' sign at the door, Gibbs finally understood and he raised his eyebrows.

"DiNozzo..."

"Come on, Gibbs. You know you need it. I know you do. Don't say you don't." Tony said and seeing how Gibbs still hesitated, he said the words he just knew would do the trick.

"Unless you're getting too old and don't think you can take me down. What you say, old man?"

There was a dangerous glint in Gibbs's eyes and Tony knew that while he would give a good challenge, he _would_ be getting his ass kicked by a Marine who had plenty of pent-up anger and frustration in him. Tony cringed inwardly, but he put a bright smile on his face and started leading the man towards the locker room, where he knew the owner of the place had left them something to wear in the boxing ring. For a moment he wondered if he should have asked someone to come with them as a witness in case there would be bodies...

_ **End of Part 5.** _


	6. The Railway Guy

It turned out that Valentine was right. The next morning Nathan was acting like nothing had happened. Although Tony noticed Nathan moving closer to him whenever Gibbs even looked at the former Detective. He was really not sure how to feel about that... It wasn't that Gibbs had really done anything to him. Anything that his partners would know about. Or perhaps his nothing was everything to them...

Both Tony and Gibbs had come to work covered in bruises and both with a black eye. While Tony's partners gasped in a shock and Vivian gleefully misunderstood the situation, their 'little' sparring moment in the boxing ring had done wonders. Gibbs was like a changed man. Sure, he was still Gibbs, but he no longer looked like someone who was ready to jump and snap your neck if you didn't watch your back. Meanwhile the scuttlebutt, which had started when Gibbs got his nose broken by Tony a couple of months ago, became alive once more.

As much as his body and mind were protesting, Tony made it then and there his mission to take Gibbs at least once a week to 'fight off' some of the steam from his system. Hopefully Shannon wouldn't be too upset at them, for doing things their way. He did like the motherly woman and didn't want to upset her for giving her husband a black eye and bruises now and then...

Happiest of them all was Tom Morrow who walked in the bullpen later that morning. While at first he was shocked to see the state his two Agents were in and the almost identical black eyes, but when he saw the self-satisfied look on DiNozzo's face and the almost serene air Gibbs had around him, he decided to drop it for now. After ordering both of them to at least go and let Ducky make sure there was nothing more serious than the bruises. Both men promised to do so without blinking their good eye, but only went down there when the Director called the old doctor himself and Ducky sent Abby to get them for him...

It indeed looked like things were starting to settle in. Even if Gibbs did later that day walk to team Valentine again and asked for Tony's opinion on his new case...

* * *

><p>Couple of days later team Valentine was called in to a certain small town, where Tony had hoped to never set his foot again. And while Tony had been able to slowly get used to sitting on a passenger seat, he still preferred driving the car himself whenever he could. Especially if the drive to the crime scene and back was a long one. It helped him keep his mind much sharper.<p>

The problems started almost as soon as they stepped out of their cars and the men in town saw them. "Hey! Railway guy! Didn't think we'd see you here again!"

Tony had a sour look on his face, but when he turned around, there was a polite smile and no trace of the sourness. "I'm afraid that work called me here again."

"You're a fed now? Didn't see that one coming." One of the guys laughed.

"Me either. Sorry. I have to go now. Work calls."

"I'm sure it does Detective, I mean _Agent_. Just try to stay away from the railway this time, will ya?" The men started laughing again and Tony had to force the polite smile remain on his face and just keep walking, instead of running away. While at the same time hoping no one could see his embarrassment.

"Railway guy?" Nathan questioned once the men couldn't hear them.

"It's nothing. Just some old case from a while ago..." Tony muttered. Praying that no one else would remember him...

But of course in such a small town as this one, you couldn't even sneeze without the whole town knowing about it and people remembering it all the way to their fourth generation. So by the time they made it to the small house, which was thankfully just outside the town, Tony had been called '_railway guy_' three times and '_mister railway_' twice. Someone had even been brave enough to call him '_damsel in distress_', remembering the way he'd been carried bridal style by his mountain man lookalike savior, after his concussion got the better of him. Secretly he was glad that their crime scene was far away from the railway.

Taking pictures of the crime scene much later, he frowned, noticing the familiar looking gunshot wound on their dead Marine. "That's strange..."

"What is it? You got something?" Nathan was bagging and tagging the evidence and he looked up after sealing the last one. Valentine was asking questions from the owner of the old and ancient looking mines they were standing next to.

"I think I've seen this kind of wound before. In fact, it was the last time I was here for another case. No, I'm pretty sure it's the same."

Nathan was now the one to frown as he came closer to the body, which was now lifted up and moved away from the sun. "You know the guy?"

"I know the _girl_, Nate. Like most people in here, she's excellent hunter, but it's her shotgun which leaves this kind of mess... The feds took her father, after my partner and I located the man. He killed illegals for trespassing his property and raping and almost killing his daughter, so I can't really blame him and I hated handing him over to them. Turned out he had some illegal activities under his own name and they wanted him... I think he was put away for life, thanks to killing those illegals. Not much justice in that... Not for him and not for his daughter. That kind of sends the message that the common people have no rights... If anything, the system created a criminal by marking him as such..."

And of course before they even got the man, _he_ got Tony first. Thinking that by getting the youngest of the two Detectives, he would buy himself more time. Knocked the young Detective unconscious and the next time Tony woke up, he was staring at the blue sky and was feeling very uncomfortable, tied up to the railway. Had it not been some homeless man passing by, Tony DiNozzo might have died on that day. Thankfully the train was late or he wouldn't have even woken up in time to know his end had come. He had the worst luck, but also the best guardian angels.

"I don't see how- _Wait_..." Nathan's eyes widened.

"Are you sure you should be here then? I'm pretty sure all that put together is a really bad idea for you to be here now. Since you went after her father..."

Tony shrugged. "I'm sure... I looked it up before. She left the town soon after we did. So either she's back or someone else has the weapon..."

They looked up when Valentine walked towards them. Looking grim. "Seems like everyone in this town thinks it's funny to lie to us."

Tony winced. Knowing from his own experience what kind of twisted humor the people here shared. His near death experience being a big example of how their minds worked. "Who lied?"

"The man who called us in here. Turns out he not only was the first at the crime scene, he was also seen arguing with our victim yesterday _and_ he moved the body. I called the Sheriff. He's giving us a place to interrogate him and he's already got the man there waiting for us... DiNozzo."

"Yes?"

"I'll leave it up to you. I want to leave this God-forsaken town as soon as we can, so use the 'Howard's glare'. That one should do the trick." Valentine had actually a small twinkle in his eyes.

Tony smiled. "You sure you want me to do that? I'm sure you remember what kind of effect it has on some people."

The older man laughed heartily. He could hardly believe he was actually looking back in those days with fondness. Even enjoying DiNozzo's company, who was in so many ways like his partner had been. "Don't hold back."

"You got it, boss." Tony cheered and started jogging away from the crime scene. It always brought him almost childlike joy when he was given permission to 'play dirty'.

Nathan looked between his retreating partner and then his boss. "Howard's glare?"

"Something you don't want to live to see being directed at you. Although, I think I should've called it the 'DiNozzo's glare' instead. I'm sure he has worked on it to make it his own, after the last time I saw it..."

"Is it like the infamous 'Gibbs glare' everyone talks about?"

Valentine was quiet for some time as he was comparing the two in his mind. "Something like that..."

Meanwhile, Tony stopped his jogging once he saw the Sheriff waiting for him. "Is he inside?"

The old man nodded. His eyes narrowed as he gave the kid a once-over. Wondering why the boss himself didn't come there. Why send some green young Agent? He had been out of town the last time Tony had been there as a Detective and the stories he had heard were not flattering. Even if he normally wasn't one to listen to gossips, but who on earth got tied up to a railway in this day and age anyway?

Ignoring the sharp eyes on him, Tony squared his shoulders and walked inside the building. The man waiting for him there smiled at him, seeing the young and charming looking Agent walking inside. A moment later that smile was gone and when Tony walked outside soon after that, Sheriff glanced inside.

"Hey! Kid! What did you do to him?" He waited until the young Agent stopped, before glancing once more inside, where the white as a sheet man was still sitting on the chair. Quickly looking away when he saw the old man staring at him.

The smile was pure honey when Tony answered. "He's useless for our case. At least for now. As long as he stays in this town while the case is still open, he can go."

"What did you do to him?" The old man was losing his patience.

Tony looked like he was actually contemplating over his answer. "You ever been caught by a wild beast and seen the way it looks at you? Or looked a snake straight in the eyes? Ever looked a cold-blooded killer, with no remorse or humanity, in the eyes?"

The Sheriff didn't get a chance to answer as the Agent turned around again and walked away. Leaving the man behind to scratch his bald head, muttering silent curses about feds and big city people who watched too many movies.

While Tony walked away, he added quietly in his mind: _Or seen the way my father used to look at me_...

He had been 'trained' by the very best. In good and bad. Mostly bad. Especially bad. Him using that look of a killer was him basically putting yet another mask and persona on. Or maybe he wasn't. He wasn't sure anymore where that line was. He didn't want to dwell in that thought for too long, so he pushed it away.

Walking back towards the crime scene, he felt his gut begin to churn and he glanced around him worriedly, but he saw nothing out of ordinary so he kept walking.

"Everything alright?" Nathan asked when his partner returned to them with a deep frown on his face.

"Just a feeling I'm having and it's a feeling I don't like..."

"So how did it go?" Valentine asked, walking closer. The body and the evidence had been taken from the crime scene by now and they now only had to find the killer.

"It was a waste of time. He cracked in less than a minute. Turns out he had an alibi."

"Really?" Valentine sounded disappointed.

"Sheriff's wife. One phone call and she confirmed it. I'd be prepared to find another body soon, but hopefully we'll be gone by then. Not our case anyway." Tony chuckled humorlessly. This cursed town. He hated it with passion.

"Well, who knew... Even the old people live sinful lives. We're all human." Nathan hummed amused.

"Say that to the Sheriff." Tony snorted and his partner made a face at that. He'd be stupid to give the man a reason to shoot him.

Valentine had listened in quiet amusement his two Agents talking. Thinking once again with fondness and sadness back to his days as the probie and the better days between him and his partners. Even between him and Howard. How did he let his own arrogance get on the way of something that good..? When he saw the sun hit the weapon in the bushes, he didn't hesitate to shout out the warning to his Agents. After all it was his job as their boss to make sure they remained safe. Something he had learned from Howard, but something Mike Franks himself had failed to practice, despite all of his preaching.

"Get down!" Valentine yelled. Not a moment too soon as the first shot is fired at them. While the two younger and much more fit Agents moved fast, their boss was less agile. That was ultimately what sealed his fate. Yet another thing he had failed to remember Howard always telling him to do. To always keep himself fit. If not for himself then for his partners and for his family.

"Val!"

"Valentine!"

Taking out his gun, Tony shot towards the shooter. He barely saw the ponytail before she was gone and they had things much more urgent to worry about, than to run after her.

"Tony!" Nathan's voice broke through his anger and Tony crawled closer to their boss who was now laying in the sand, with his blood painting it dark red.

"It's too much..." Tony muttered and cursed as he tried to stop the bleeding.

"911! Nathan! Call!" He trusted Nathan to know what to do, so he didn't even look up to see if he did. Which he did. Taking out his phone and walking a few steps away from them.

"Come on now, Elian... Man... You can't do this to me... I've had enough of people dying on me. Especially while saving my sorry ass. She was aiming at _my_ head..."

"DiNozzo..." Valentine coughed and some blood came out of his mouth. It alarmed Tony. How often had he been in this situation and how many of those situations had ended with a body? Too many.

"You still owe me that fifty you borrowed... And you promised to tell me more about Mike Franks. I've been too patient for you to kick the bucket before you even fulfill that promise." Tony was blatantly ignoring how the blood just kept pouring out, as much as he tried to stop it.

Valentine just smiled a small amused smile. "Think... Howard would've... forgiven me..?"

"I forgive you and I know he would've. We're both idiots like that, as long as it's about us and not someone we care about. He would've forgiven, I know that much... Come on, Elian. You've got a family. Don't make me bring your body to them..."

Hearing that he was forgiven was more than enough for Valentine and he smiled and relaxed, the worry disappearing from his face. "Bottom drawer... Not... Not finished yet, but..."

"But?"

Valentine tried to say more, but while trying to get another word out, he lost his battle to stay conscious. Tony cursed out loud and looked up when he heard his partner coming back.

"There was a small accident on the road not far from here. We were lucky. They will be here-" Nathan stopped talking as he finally looked at his boss again. He cursed as he finished the sentence with a furious hiss.

"...soon... Is he..?"

Tony shook his head. "No... But don't know how long he can keep fighting... Tell them to hurry... Nathan!"

Nathan knew he should've been able to do something more. Now he could just watch helplessly as his younger partner kept trying to stop the bleeding, even if it seemed like it was a futile attempt, but he didn't have a heart to tell him to stop. So he just slumped on the other side of the body, just staring quietly. Hearing the voice speaking from the phone, he is snapped out of his reverie for a moment.

_"...sir? Are you still there? Sir?"_

"Sorry... Yeah... I'm still here... Please hurry..." Of all the towns they had to be shot at, it had to be the one without a hospital anywhere near to it.

Minutes passed by and when the ambulance finally arrived, Tony stood up to get out of the way. His hands were covered in Valentine's blood all the way to his elbows and some other parts of his shirt. Nathan winced at the sight.

"Tony..."

"I'll get the bitch. You go with Val. Call someone. I don't care who. Call Ducky. He'll be able to maybe tell us more if the doctors decide to play hard to get. I swear I'll catch her. Dead or alive. If I'm lucky, she'll give me a chance to shoot her. I _hope_ she'll try to kill me again."

"Tony."

"I swear, Nate. I'll get her."

"Tony!"

Tony flinched at the almost harsh tone, but then the man spoke softly to him. "Be careful and don't go on your own."

There was a furious look in his partner's eyes and for the first time Nathan realized that there were far more similarities between Tony and Agent Gibbs than he realized. Tony would _not_ be careful or even ask the Sheriff or anyone else to help him out.

"Be careful." He repeated, but Tony just turned around and left the scene without looking back. Leaving Nathan feeling like he'd just aged ten years.

_ **End of Part 6.** _


	7. Breaking A Few Rules Can't Hurt

Nathan rushed inside the hospital, having barely remembered to lock the car doors. He'd followed the ambulance, so now he had to find out where they took his boss. He'd never lost a partner in this job before and the way Valentine had looked like, it really had put him in almost a shock like state. He'd never before noticed what kind of mess a shotgun could leave behind on a human body, until now.

"Doctor Mallard? What are you doing here? I was just going to call you..." Nathan forgot his hurry for a moment, seeing the grim-looking old man leaving one of the rooms.

Ducky looked displeased, but he gave him a small smile. "Ah. Nathan. I am here doing some damage control... But what are _you_ doing here, young man? Did something happen after I left?"

Had the situation been less serious, Nathan would've found it amusing to be called a young man. He hadn't felt like a young man in years. "Our boss... Valentine... He was shot and it looks bad..."

"What? Oh my... I am so sorry to hear that. Where is Anthony?"

"Anthony? Oh, right. Tony... He's..." Nathan furrowed his brows. He really didn't know. It was like there was a black hole in his memory. He didn't even remember driving there. He knew he had done it, but he didn't really remember doing it.

"Nathan?" Had Nathan known the old man better, he would've known the nice and usually friendly doctor had entered his 'danger mode'. Rare thing to happen, but it did happen once in a while.

"Oh man... I think he... Well, I'm not sure, but I think he's still at the crime scene..." Nathan cursed softly and he had a flash of memory from the time he had last seen his younger partner.

"Agent Hindall. Is Anthony out there alone? Without any backup?"

The reality of the situation was finally starting to settle in and Nathan cursed again. "My mind was so full of our boss dying that I didn't even... I should've never let him..."

He was struggling with his duty of being out there and watching his partner's back, when he also couldn't leave his boss. Ducky on the other hand was contemplating between letting Gibbs know or letting this man hear a few carefully chosen words about what would happen to him if Tony didn't come back in one piece and alive. Turned out he didn't have to make that choice. It was made for him.

"Duck? What's going on?"

The men turned around to see Gibbs walking towards them with a frown. His gut had started working from the moment he saw Tony's _temporary_ partner.

"Jethro! You promised to behave." Ducky sounded disapproving.

Gibbs shrugged, but regretted it when the movement stabbed him with a sharp pain. Holding his hurt arm, which was luckily in a sling, he took a few deep breaths before he spoke again. "I behaved. They finished sewing me up and handed me the prescription so I'm good to go. What's going on?"

Ducky tutted. "You and Anthony are far too similar in some aspects, Jethro... You two are driving me to an early grave."

"Ducky! _What's going on_?"

Nathan, unaware he was putting his life at risk, spoke out. "Our boss was shot and Tony stayed behind. It looks bad and there's no way to know yet if Valentine will make it... They just brought him here..."

"What!?"

"Jethro..!" Ducky hissed. They received a few disapproving glances at the raised voices, but Gibbs being Gibbs, he didn't pay to it any attention.

Nathan made up his mind and turned to look at Ducky. "Doctor Mallard. Would you mind finding out where they took him? I need to make a phone call to his wife before I can go back to work... I need to make sure Tony isn't doing anything stupid and without a backup..."

"I-"

Gibbs moved faster than Ducky could give his answer. Before Nathan knew what hit him, he was punched in the face. He was lucky Gibbs's good hand was out of job for now or the damage would've been much worse.

* * *

><p>Like a predator which he now was, Tony walked towards the old building, ignoring the ringing phone in his pocket. In his one hand he had his good friend the SIG-Sauer and with the other he was holding the shotgun he had 'borrowed' from the Sheriff. If there was one thing in this town he'd learned from the last time, it was to be prepared for things you couldn't foresee.<p>

Almost kicking the front door open, he decided to first try it if was open, as it was. Stepping inside, he was met with dust and musty odor. When he moved, the dust glittered against the evening sunlight coming from the windows. No one had been in the house for a while, but it didn't mean he couldn't find anything useful... Glancing around the room, Tony could still remember clearly the last time he had been in there with his partner. Back then his eyes had caught the photographs over the fireplace and so they did now. Especially the one that was now missing. A family picture. The people in it were standing in front of a small building in the forest. One of the places they went to look for the father back then.

With one last and quick glance around the house, he left and went towards the thick forest. The phone was finally quiet.

It didn't take much effort this time to find the small forest hut and just when he was starting to doubt his gut feeling and if it really could be this easy, he saw the small flickering light coming from the windows. He didn't waste any time and kicking the door open, he pointed both of the weapons towards the screaming woman.

"Don't shoot..!"

"Just like you didn't shoot my boss?"

"I didn't mean to shoot _him_..!"

"Oh, well that makes it all _so_ much better. Where is it!?"

"W-where's what..?"

"The shotgun you used!"

"I... It's..." She pointed towards the small dining table at the small kitchen corner.

Taking out something from his pocket, he threw it on the floor. "Bag and tag."

"What?" She frowned, confused at his order and stared at the plastic bag, which was also something he had 'borrowed' from someone.

"Put it in there. You try anything and I won't guarantee both of us will walk out of here alive."

By letting her go to her weapon, it felt almost like a permission to shoot him, but she had a strong feeling he would be glad to use that excuse to make that action backfire on her. She'd heard stories of cops gone vengeful when one of their own had been killed. She didn't want to test out this man here.

Without letting her eyes leave the man standing at the door, with the steady hand holding the gun that could either end her life or hurt her at best, she slowly did what he told her to do. She wasn't going to give him the excuse to shoot her.

His phone started ringing again and telling her to not try anything and never leaving his eyes from her, Tony answered it. It was Nathan. His voice sounded strange, like he was pinching at his nose.

_"Tony..! Thank God! I was seriously starting to worry when you didn't pick up when we tried calling you before... It still looks bad, but I thought you might want to know that the doctors think he's going to make it, if nothing goes wrong... Another thing. It's about Agent Gibbs-"_

With a deep and calm sigh, Tony ended the call while Nathan was still talking. "It's your lucky day. He'll live."

She relaxed. Almost like feeling the immediate death threat leaving her. Then he ordered her outside and the fear was back. Especially when she couldn't see it, but knew he would be walking behind her. She wouldn't even have time to react if he decided to kill her.

With both the shotguns in his one hand and his own gun in his other, he started walking them towards the town. Ignoring the ringing phone in his pocket.

* * *

><p>At least one good thing came out of this all. No one in that God-forsaken town was laughing at him anymore. It seemed that when a guy carrying a gun was starting to act trigger friendly, it did the trick.<p>

After one last battle over who got to 'keep' the suspect, Tony made a quick phone call to his Director and gave the phone to the red faced Sheriff. So now he was finally on his way back. The woman was sitting next to him, cuffed and silently staring outside.

"You know... If anyone has the right to shoot anyone in that town, it's me. Back then my partner and I did all we could to help your father. Even after he almost _killed_ me. As the father is, so is the daughter..."

She didn't say anything, but only because of the car that was driving past them and then suddenly stopped and almost drove off the road.

"What in the..? Gibbs?" Tony stopped his car and got out, but then he just stood there. Staring, as it indeed was Gibbs who got out of the other car, but he came out from the passenger's side and he wasn't alone. And why was his arm in a sling?

"DiNozzo!" Gibbs barked, even before him and the other man made it to Tony's car.

"What are you doing here, Gibbs?" Tony asked wearily and glanced inside the car where the woman was, with no way to escape without some help.

"What do you think?" Gibbs answered with a much softer tone this time, when he noticed the dried blood all over Tony's shirt. His heart skipped a beat and he started to guess and see which wound _or wounds_ had caused that. Not once did he think the blood could be Valentine's.

Tony ignored the question and turned his attention to the man standing next to Gibbs. "Who's this?"

The man held out his hand with a friendly smile. "Stan. Stan Burley. I'm Agent Gibbs's new SFA. I started today. It's nice to finally meet you. I've heard so much about you, Agent DiNozzo."

"Tony." Tony took the offered hand. For a reason he didn't understand, he didn't like this man...

_ **End of Part 7.** _


	8. Mistakes

"What happened? Did you get hurt?"

Tony snapped out of his thoughts and looked at Gibbs who was looking at him concerned. He'd forgotten he was still covered in the blood. Well, his shirt was. He hated how many clothes he had ruined doing this work. Nice clothes. Maybe he should start shopping for new clothes from wherever Gibbs got his? Well, maybe he wouldn't go _that_ far...

"No... It's... It's his..."

"His?"

"Val's... I was trying to stop the bleeding... Didn't really help that much..."

Gibbs didn't know what to say. He didn't really care that much about Valentine on a personal level, but seeing how this was affecting DiNozzo, awakened different kind of feelings in him. The kind where you wanted to put your arm around someone you cared about or say a few words of comfort. But he was Gibbs and he was not going to do that and from the way the young man held himself, it wouldn't be welcomed either. Especially not when Stan was standing close to them, keeping an eye on the suspect while Gibbs had pulled Tony further away, to make sure the young man wasn't injured.

"And you? What happened to _you_?" Tony asked, pointing at the arm in a sling.

"Work happened." Gibbs answered with a straight face.

"Ducky giving you a hard time?"

"Hell."

Tony chuckled. He felt a small relief knowing that if Gibbs was more seriously hurt than what he let people see, at least he had Ducky at work giving him a hard time and Shannon at home, most likely knowing him better than anyone else did. "How did it happen?"

Gibbs muttered something, but didn't answer the question. "Get back in that car and back to the Navy Yard, before the other one comes after you too."

"The other one..?" Tony blinked. As good as he was at it, there were times when he was still trying to get used to the 'Gibbs talk'.

"Oh! You mean Nate?"

"Nate?"

"Nathan Hindall. That other Agent in my team."

Gibbs grumbled something. "He'll be in big trouble for leaving you out there without any backup. I'll make sure of that."

"I had a backup." Tony had no trouble keeping a straight face when he lied. Even if the other person was Gibbs.

"Oh, really?"

"Sure. There was the Sheriff. You can call him if you want to." Of course, it helped that the only working phones which that cursed town had, were hardly ever picked up if ever. Usually they did the calling. Outsiders weren't that popular in there. Or then maybe it was just him. There was no love shared between him and them...

Gibbs didn't believe him, but since Tony had already made up his mind, what could he do? Other than what he'd done so far, which was punching people in their faces. But even he knew that on the long run it would only come back to them when they least expected it. "We'll talk later..."

"Whatever you say, Gibbs..."

Gibbs turned his attention to Stan. Startling the man with his harsh tone of voice. "Hey! Let's go!"

Before leaving, Gibbs returned once more and held out a clean shirt for Tony to wear. Eyeing it suspiciously for a while, Tony took it. Unaware that it was a shirt Gibbs had 'borrowed' from his new Agent. After that Tony just stood there for a while, watching after Gibbs and Stan as they left first. No. He really didn't like Stan, but for the life of him, he couldn't figure out why...

* * *

><p>After calling Nathan who was still at the hospital waiting for more news, Tony was the only one of his team to still be at work. The Director came to him once, telling him that it was okay to leave the paperwork for tomorrow, but he had wanted to finish up this case tight and unforgiving. Making sure there were no mistakes in anything that would open up a way out for the criminals.<p>

The original case had turned out to be a simple one. One which he was able to solve soon after returning to the Navy Yard. As for the woman... It was her luck that Valentine hadn't died. Not yet anyway... Knowing how much anger there still was bubbling under the surface, Tony had asked for Chris Pacci and his team's help with the interrogation, while he himself watched it from behind the window. Not that he couldn't have handled it himself just fine, but he had wanted to play it safe. For a ladies man such as himself, there had been no pity towards the tearful woman sitting in that small room. She had made the choice and now she had to live with it.

Signing off the last file, Tony stretched his stiff limbs before adding it on Valentine's growing pile of files on the man's desk. From the corner of his eye he saw team Gibbs hard at work. Vivian seemed awfully meek and maybe even just a little fearful. That Stan guy was already working as if he'd done it for years and not just started. Gibbs himself seemed to be in a bad mood, when trying to do his paperwork was difficult with only one hand and he had to constantly choose between coffee and his work.

"She messed up." Chris spoke suddenly from behind him and he turned around to see the older man leaning against the thin 'walls' separating the teams and their working areas.

"What?"

"Vivian. She thought she saw someone who killed her brother and instead of watching his six, she ran after something she _thought_ she saw. Gibbs got shot by their suspect, because she wasn't covering his back." Saying that, Chris took a step back at the sudden burning hot rage in those green eyes, which usually didn't show any emotions the former Detective didn't want to show.

"What..?" Tony hissed. He turned around and almost ran straight to the redhead, but Chris being brave enough, stopped him with his steady hand on the man's shoulder.

"Take it easy, Tony... Gibbs and the Director both ripped her a new one for it... Trust me, she's already being punished..."

"She could have gotten him killed..!" Tony snapped, but forced himself to calm down. Unlike Gibbs, he could do it just fine. Usually. Even if he had to sooner or later find some outlet for his rage.

"Chris, I swear... Anything happens again because of her and I... I've had enough of people who should know better, doing things like this." Tony shook his head and Chris smiled slightly, wondering if DiNozzo had much experience of people like Vivian.

"And I'll let you. She'll be gone from work for a while after finishing her report. Let's see how things go after she's back."

Tony scoffed, but putting his temper on hold again as he so often did, he sat down behind his desk.

Chris wasn't done yet. "There's nothing you can do here now. Go to the hospital and see your team. I'm sure they'd like that."

Muttering something, Tony shook his head, glancing towards Valentine's desk. He had something else he had to do first. "Later..."

* * *

><p>It turned out that Chris could be relentless when he chose to be. So instead of searching for whatever Val had on Mike Franks, Tony was now inside the hospital elevator and on his way to see his boss and Nathan. Finding the right room was not that hard since almost as soon as he stepped out, he saw Nathan who was standing in front of a closed door, looking anxious.<p>

"Nate!" Tony rushed to the older man, seeing his 'taped' nose and the dark coloring around it.

Nathan's voice was full of relief, seeing his partner safe and unharmed. It was one thing less to worry about now. "Tony... Thank God you're alright... I'm so sorry for leaving you there without any backup... Anything could have happened and it would've been on my conscience."

Tony could only stare at Nathan's face. "No... It wasn't your fault._ I made_ you go with Val, because he needed someone to be there for him... And as far as I'm concerned, I had a backup."

Nathan perked up at that. "So you did take someone with you after all? Thank God for that..."

Tony didn't mention that his idea of a backup had been the shotgun. "What happened to _you_?"

Nathan shifted his feet uncomfortably. "Your beloved Agent Gibbs wasn't too happy that I left you at the crime scene without any backup..."

"He did _what_!? _I_ made that choice..!"

Nathan shook his head. "No, Tony... It's okay. I don't hold any grudges, so don't go there. In fact, I think I would've done just the same to him if the roles had been reversed..."

Tony snorted. "Sure you would... And then you'd feel bad about it."

"You don't know me that well yet, kid."

Tony rolled his eyes, looking annoyed when he was called kid_._ He nodded at the door. "How's Val?"

"His wife is there with him... They're confident that he's going to make it, but it's gonna take a while... Meanwhile..." Nathan put his hand inside his pocket and took out a small key.

"When he was awake, he told me to give this to you."

"Why?" Tony took the key. Having a pretty good idea what it was for.

"I don't know... But he made me promise to give it to you, only you and no one else."

Tony slipped the key in his own pocket and ignoring the questioning look Nathan was giving him, he chose to change the subject. "So what's the damage then? I'm surprised he made it..."

Nathan shuddered at the memory. "Oh yeah... I'm not that good with all the mumbo jumbo, but doctor Mallard was able to translate the doctor speech to me. So, it turns out that what nearly killed Valentine, also kept him alive long enough to get the help that saved his life..."

* * *

><p>It was 1 AM, by the time Tony returned. The bullpen had only few lights on and he was grateful to notice he was almost all alone in there. The only team which was still hard at work, was on the other side of the room, so he didn't have to worry about someone seeing him doing what he did.<p>

Taking out the key to Valentine's desk, he opened the bottom drawer, revealing a pile of files and a small box on top of them. Taking them all out he sat behind his own desk, in case someone would think to start questioning what he was doing at his boss's desk.

The files and the box had to wait since on top of everything else was an unsealed envelope. Opening it, he started reading.

_ **'To whoever is reading this.  
><strong> _

_ **This is my testimony about a case from ten years ago, in case something has happened to me before I get the chance to deliver these to the right people myself. My lawyer has the key to where the originals are and the instructions of what to do if the worst should happen. I also made a voice recording of me reading this letter. I have added the copies of the case files with this, so I won't go into details. ** _

_ **The reason why I did nothing back then was simply because I had no solid proof. I only suspected something, so there was nothing I could have done that would've brought justice where the justice is due. I also deeply regret to have to say this, but back then I was just a probie with a bad reputation, so no one would have taken my words seriously. It would have been my word against his word.  
><strong> _

_ **Even after it was what finally forced him into an early retirement, I also knew that despite many of his unlawful ways of dealing with people and his cases, Mike Franks was a highly respected and perhaps even feared by some. So I feared that if I had no solid proof to back up my claims, I couldn't do justice to my partner, Agent Howard Paddington, his surrogate brother Anthony D. DiNozzo Jr. and miss Jeanne Benoit. All who took the fall in this. Two who are now dead and the one who lost his only family with their deaths. ** _

_ **So I decided to first find the evidence. I am grieved to tell you that it took me ten years, but now I finally have everything needed to bring out the truth of the now former NIS/NCIS Agent Michael 'Mike' Franks. With this letter I have attached the proof of what happened during those days and before and after it. And how it happened. They are all in chronological order.** _

_ **Franks who was my boss at the time, failed to inform the Agents who were supposed to join my SFA Howard, who was protecting the family of Gunnery Sergeant Leroy Jethro Gibbs's wife and daughter. Agent Franks was a drunk and while he was supposed to provide the backup for Agent Howard, he chose to get drunk at the local bar during his work hours. Instead of fixing his mistake while he still could or allow someone else to make the big decisions, he came back to work before he was sober and chose to send his Agent alone. By the time Agent Howard was killed, along with young miss Benoit, three other people nearly died with them. Shannon Gibbs, Kelly Gibbs and Anthony D. DiNozzo Jr. ** _

_ **Instead of doing the right thing and admit his mistakes, Agent Mike Franks covered it up, lied on the report and made an innocent fellow Agent take the fall. My other partner who, I regret to say it, died soon after by his own hand. All this and much more will be explained in details on all the files I have written and the evidence I have gathered during these years. As many people as Mike Franks has paid or threatened to remain quiet, there are thankfully still those who refuse to cover up for him anymore.** _

_ **As of now, I am leaving everything in the hands of the people who have the power to do something about this. Whatever it may be, seeing as after the forced retirement Mike Franks has disappeared somewhere in Mexico.** _

_ **I am sending copies of this letter and all the attachments to different people. Not because I have something against anyone, but because I know from a past experience that certain important files and cases have gone missing somewhere between the sender and the recipient.** _

_ **Special Agent Elian Valentine'** _

After reading the letter, Tony just sat there for a long time, trembling. Out of grief or rage, even he wasn't sure which one it was. Maybe both. Sure, he had known some of this, but to find out it was even worse? Howard and Jeanne had died only because Mike couldn't be a man enough to get some help for his _addiction_. They had to pay the ultimate price because of an old drunkard. There was no honor in that, dying for a reason like that. He also couldn't do the right thing and admit what he had done. Instead, like a coward he was, Mike had put the blame on other people and then fled to Mexico. Twice now a man loving the bottle more than a human life, had ruined his life. Had ruined other people's lives. Although, to be fair, Senior had loved both the bottle and the money.

He could still hear Mike's words from all those years ago. Words which were full of wisdom, but he now knew were the words of a drunken man who had no right to even utter them.

_ **"Our work is important, but it's also dangerous. We give justice to people and sometimes we also protect them. I need to know that I can trust my Agent, my Second In Command, to listen to my orders and obey them. That I can trust he is watching my back, no matter what. Having a good partner is everything with this kind of work. This time we were not working in the field, but I need to know I can trust him to not run off in the middle of a case, leaving me possibly with no partner to watch my back."** _

No wonder Mike had smelled like a strong mixture of a cigarette and some old cologne. He had tried to cover up the smell of alcohol in his breath...

As much as he had started making his peace with the past during these last few years, it now came back tenfold of what it had been. Damning Mike Franks for all he had done, Tony clenched his teeth until his jaw was starting to hurt. He would never forgive the man!

Feeling a presence behind him, Tony snapped out of his vengeful mindset for a moment and turned around to rebuke whoever had been spying on him. Seeing no one there, he narrowed his eyes and shook his head at his failing senses.

His eyes fell on the picture of Howard on his desk and his mouth turned into a tight line. Reaching his hand on the picture before turning it away from him, he spoke quietly. "Don't give me that look..."

_ **End of Part 8.** _


	9. Reading The Signs

Done washing his hands, Tony looked at himself in the mirror. He looked tired, which wasn't anything new in this line of work. The stress and the long hours at work couldn't possibly be any good for anyone, but he was finally getting used to this new routine.

Surprisingly the worry that kept him awake at night, was the worry if he would become a permanent Agent in team Valentine. Sure he liked them. He really did. Even their new probie was great and they even shared a similar taste in movies. But as mad as he'd been at Gibbs before, it was _him_ that he'd followed here... So if the old man would suddenly decide that '_nope, things are fine the way they are_', he wasn't sure what to do then. He had a hard time progressing his feelings over the matter...

The door to the men's room opened and Vivian stepped inside. He looked at her through the mirror. "You know this is men's room, right? Are you trying to tell me something with this or are you coming on to me?"

She scoffed. "_You_? Please..! You remind me too much of my brother. Just the very thought of that is nauseating to me."

"Sure, sure... I'll believe you..."

"So... How are you doing?"

Oh, he was no fool and he knew that there was no real concern towards his well being there. He could tell that out of all the people in team Gibbs, she was enjoying the current situation the most. "Couldn't be better. And you? You've looked a little pale lately. I guess being the Agent of the MCRT is finally getting to you. I must say, that look isn't good on you."

The look on her face darkens and Tony wondered what had happened to cause her to give him that look full of trouble.

"Not at all. I've never been better. Stan is amazing to work with. The best Agent and SFA for anyone to have. I think even Gibbs is impressed with him. I guess there's a first time for everything. He's even calling him by his first name." Of course the boss always got the name wrong, calling Stan Steve, but that hardly was the point here...

Tony smiled tightly. "Is that so? Well, good for him and good for you. It has been much more peaceful working here lately. Guess we finally found what was needed to have it."

"Yes. And I heard we might even get another Agent soon. Hopefully with Burley around, this one will stay... _Oh_. I am so sorry. I hope I didn't upset you, did I? I forgot that_ you_ were supposed to join our team..." She smirked.

"Not at all, Viv darling. I have the best team I could hope for. No hard feelings there."

She looked annoyed. While she was sure she got him with this, he wasn't showing it to her. What was wrong with him that he refused to show proper reactions like a normal person..?

"Now, if you'll excuse me... I need to get back to work." Tony left the room, never looking back. Nope. This didn't upset him at all... He was feeling just fine...

* * *

><p>"Did you find anything?"<p>

It was almost five months since it all had happened. Valentine almost dying, Stan Burley joining team Gibbs and Tony finding Val's research and other files on Mike Franks.

Now that the 'ball' was given to Tony, _so to speak_, Valentine seemed much more relaxed and at ease with his life. Although it could also have something to do with his very near death experience. He was even smiling much more lately. Somehow he even looked younger too. Tony on the other hand was still studying through the files himself, next to his demanding job. He knew he had to soon make a decision of what to do and as much as he was starting to trust Val, he still wanted to make sure everything was right. _If_ Mike Franks would ever show up again, he didn't want to give the man any leeway...

Nathan had become, if possible, even more resentful towards Gibbs. Which was strange since the older man didn't even come to 'borrow' Tony for his cases anymore. Which for some reason really irritated Tony. Whenever he looked at team Gibbs, Gibbs seemed a little too happy with his newest Agent, Stan Burley... Looking at the old man now, you'd think he had completely forgotten the very existence of one crestfallen Very Special Agent. And if that last spot would indeed be filled in that team, where would that put him..?

"Tony? Are you listening?" Valentine asked and Tony smiled joylessly.

"Yeah. I'm listening. And yes, I looked through his contact list, but didn't find a match. Then I realized she _could_ still be there, but using her maiden name and voilà, we have a match. But that just brought new questions. Like how no one else knew. The only thing I can think of, is that someone is lying to us again... We'd have to figure out who, but that's like looking at that one needle among the other needles..."

Grateful for the distraction, Tony happily let his mind completely focus at the work. After all, he had the best team to work with and so far the people in here watched your back. He hadn't run into Bolton number two either. He had all the ingredients to finally become a happy man, so he had no reason to feel this way... None.

Meanwhile, Gibbs observed Tony, who in his eyes seemed so happy and excited about something. He'd been observing team Valentine for weeks now and the more he did, the more worried he was becoming. DiNozzo was getting way too comfortable in that team... And the two of them hardly even talked to each other in these days. As much as work had kept them all busy as it always did, Gibbs knew that part of it was his own fault.

He'd been trying so hard to 'earn' DiNozzo back, that he had possibly overdone things a little. Maybe even giving the wrong kind of signs to the man. With regret, he had noticed Tony almost avoiding him now. Or maybe it really was him who had indeed overdone things by trying to please the Director and behave? Especially after Morrow even went so far as warning him about trying to 'borrow' DiNozzo again.

Gibbs stood up, cursing Tom Morrow and the man's promise with a threat, that had put him in this situation in the first place. If he was going to survive yet another painfully long day of this game of pretending in front of the Director, he needed some coffee. ASAP.

* * *

><p>Abby kept hovering around him, as she always did whenever she was looking for an opening to give him one of her bone crushing hugs. Those months that Tony had been working at the NCIS, hadn't made her any less determined to succeed. And secretly Tony was amused by it and by the silent agreement, they had made it into a game. She was looking for that moment when he would let down his guard and he was making sure to not slip.<p>

"Okay. Spit it out."

"What?" Tony blinked, confused. He'd come to see Abby for some test results and instead of giving them to him right away, she had made him sit down and then kept looking at him. As if by staring hard enough, she could read his mind. Or maybe she was trying be like Gibbs and scare him with just her eyes? Unfortunately for her, she didn't stand a chance next to the former Marine.

"Something's been eating at you for a while now. I can tell. And don't try to tell me otherwise. My Abby sensors are tingling whenever I see you."

"Abby sensors..?" Tony repeated amused.

She shrugged. "Why not? Gibbs has his gut feelings."

"Whatever you say..."

"So what's wrong?"

Rubbing his forehead, Tony started building up some sort of story to feed it to Abby, but before he could finish it, Abby spoke again.

"Is it about the Bossman? It is, isn't it!"

"It's nothing like that..."

"Then what else is it? Did Vivian do something again?"

Tony flinched and managed to hide it from her, but she was getting too good at this guessing game which she had started.

"Was it about Stan?"

This time he openly stared at her. With a sour smile, she shrugged. "I _may_ have heard when she got you before... Tony... Don't listen to her. You know what she's like by now. Don't you? She's just using whatever she can to hurt you any way she can. She obviously has something against you and... Wait... Are you actually_ jealous_? Of Stan I mean. I'm sure you know you have no reason to-"

Her eyes widen at the blank stare she received. "You are! You are jealous! Tony-boy... You know there's no reason to be... I like Stan. I really do. He's way better than any of the other Agents Gibbs has worked with as long as I've been around."

No he wasn't. He was just... Feeling grumpy, because after everything Gibbs seemed to have forgotten him... Holding back the urge to cross his arms and glare, Tony kept his face impassive and didn't let it show on the outside what he was thinking. But man... It did hurt him where he didn't think it would when Abby talked about Stan... What was even worse though, was that he actually liked the man. It really irked him... If Stan had been like Brent Langer or even Vivian, it would've given him a reason to hate him, but no... And since Abby liked Stan, so of course Gibbs had to like him too. Maybe so much that he wouldn't need _him_ anymore... Dear God, he really hated how his past insecurities were taking hold of him again... And he'd thought he was way past that stage by now...

"Tony... Bossman_ tolerates_ him. For you. He's been going to the Director at least once a week, trying to get him to give in and end this joke."

He frowned. "Tolerates? Stan is a great guy. Really good at what he does... Gibbs truly found the best kind of partner anyone could hope for to work with."

Abby rolled her eyes. "You know... You're really something, DiNozzo... You don't even understand what Gibbs is doing, just for you. I mean he's always nice to _me_, but even I have seen the way he behaves around most other people. And never has he even for me changed his own behavior this much. At first it really freaked me out, until I realized the reason why... I am a little jealous, but I do kind of enjoy seeing the Bossman working this hard for something."

"Now you're just making things up..."

"Am not!"

"You are."

She was pouting and then suddenly she jumped forward, but just like so many times before, Tony escaped before she could hug him and his bones thanked him silently.

"One of these days I'll get you..!" She promised and Tony smirked with a twinkle in his eyes. He was actually looking forward to it, but she didn't need to know that...

* * *

><p>As much as Tony pushed Abby's words at the back of his mind, he did feel much calmer. And now with his mind free of the excess worries, he was starting to see things more clearly. Like the way team Gibbs truly tolerated their boss and the boss his Agents.<p>

"Boss-" Stan started. Trying to keep himself from flinching at the 'evil eye' his boss threw at him.

"I don't want to hear it! Work harder! Get me some results! I want this bastard and I want him now!" Gibbs roared and it was one of his more rare shows of temper in the bullpen. Snatching his weapon, he stormed out of the bullpen, leaving his Agents work silently. The relief at his retreat was written all over their faces.

"Gibbs is giving you guys a hard time, huh..?" Tony grimaced as he walked closer, feeling guilty because of his thoughts from before. Vivian ignored him, but Stan smiled wearily. It was the first time Tony noticed the dark circles around Stan's eyes and then the weight loss.

"You have no idea. I mean, usually he saves this type of behavior in the field or some dark alley in the field, but I guess this case is a little too much for all of us and we're running out of time..."

Tony stared. "Really? He's like this more often?"

Stan shook his head. "Often? I'd say that's one way of putting it... I swear, working for that man is ruining my health."

"You could always talk to the Director and file a complaint."

Stan looked at him as if he had lost his mind. "Against Gibbs? Are you crazy?"

Tony chuckled. Leaning closer to Stan's computer screen, he chewed his bottom lip for a moment as he was thinking. "May I?"

"Be my guest... We're already getting nowhere..." Stan sighed and gave him room to type something on the computer.

"Think that'll give you a little more room to breathe around him for a while." Tony finally spoke and Stan stared at the list of names which Tony had made appear, in his eyes, out of nowhere.

"Okay... You have to tell me how you just did that?"

Tony smirked. "Work smarter and not harder. Sorry, I'm not giving away my secrets. Have fun you two. If I were you, I would make sure I've got something to give before Gibbs comes back..."

"Don't have to tell me that..." Stan muttered and looked up, seeing that the young Agent had already left. Shaking his head he wondered how he did that...

"He's just one lucky SOB, that DiNozzo." Vivian spoke out loud, without looking up.

"DiNozzo?"

"Hanging around him long enough and all you want to do to him is to strangle him or punch that smug self pleased smirk of his."

Stan frowned at the way his partner spoke. The man had helped them. She should be thankful.

"But he is good at what he does, I'll give him that much..." Vivian looked up with a frown, as if surprised she actually spoke those words out loud.

"I think that's where he has something in common with Gibbs. They both have some serious personality issues, but because they are good at their work, people tolerate them..."

"You know something, Vivian... You are the first and only one I have heard speak badly of DiNozzo. Our boss I understand, since we've more than once faced his wrath."

"That's because you haven't been around long enough. There have been others, but that excuse of a Detective-"

"Agent, Vivian. He's an Agent just like us."

"Whatever... He gets rid of anyone who doesn't like him. My former partner for example, he totally lost it because of DiNozzo... And then there's his old boss, from when he was still a Detective... The last I heard, both of them are now locked up somewhere."

Of course he'd already heard both stories, so Stan knew better than to let her bitterness infect him. "I think you're making a too big deal out of this."

"I know perfectly well how he-"

"Vivian. Less talking and more working, unless you want the boss to prove just how good his '_promises and not threats_' are. I certainly don't."

She muttered something illegible, but obeyed him. Few minutes later, Stan couldn't help himself and he spoke again. Partly because he knew how much she'd hate it and he just smiled, fully aware of the angry scowl he received from his partner for his comment. "If this list does help solve this case, I think we owe him a drink... Both of us do."

Meanwhile, standing in the shadows and without anyone noticing, Gibbs smiled. Turning around, he finally left to get his coffee. So Steve had gained a few points in his eyes, but that didn't change the fact that he still needed DiNozzo... Maybe it was time for this week's second visit to Morrow...

_ **End of Part 9.** _


	10. With Eyes That Know The Darkness

Next Monday morning came bright and clear. Making his way towards the Director's office with the 'Mike' files, Tony stopped when he saw Gibbs storming out.

"Bad morning?" He winced at the question. He didn't need to hear the answer. All he had to do was to look at the man's face.

"He got a job offer. He took it." Gibbs grumbled.

"Who?"

"Steve." With the work load which his team had, Steve really had a bad timing. At least he could have stayed for the full year and not lousy five months...

"Stan?"

"Whoever. Doesn't matter now. For all I know, he's probably by now half way across the Atlantic."

Tony frowned. "Why Atlantic..?"

Gibbs snorted. "Don't know where he is, must be Tom's doing, but it sounds about right. Leaving without so much as warning me."

"Wouldn't blame him... But Gibbs... He did warn you. I was there, so don't claim you don't know."

At Gibbs's blank look, Tony sighed and leaned against the staircase railing. "On Friday? After he was in such a hurry to finish his every SFA duty and then some?"

* * *

><p><em> <strong>- FLASHBACK -<strong> _

_"You done yet?" Tony asked. Standing next to the desk, which looked like it was about to drown under all the files laying on it. Gibbs's desk looked just as bad and he knew all those files had gone through this same desk first._

_"Hold it..." Stan muttered and squinting his aching eyes, to see if he had missed anything, he finally closed the last file._

_"Done."_

_"Man... If that's what your work is like, I never want to become SFA... Nothing but mountains of paperwork..." Tony frowned._

_Stan chuckled and stood up. He added the files from his desk on Gibbs's. If a few slipped on the floor, he didn't notice it. Stretching his arms and fingers, he picked up his bag from the floor. "It's not this bad. I just had to finish all my work up to a week from now."_

_"A week..?"_

_"Maybe a little more than that..."_

_Tony smirked. _ _"A little? What you're up to? Gonna take a vacation without telling Gibbs? I swear if you do that without warning him, he'll shoot and then hang you in the bullpen, as a warning example."_

_Stan shuddered at the thought. "Well, he's all yours now."_

_"What..?"_

_"Come on. I knew this was just a temporary situation. _Thank God_ for that by the way... I even knew _why_ it was a temporary situation. I'm only leaving a little earlier than I thought I would."_

_"What?"_

_"I got a job offer. You're looking at the new Agent Afloat."_

_Tony winced, imagining how Gibbs was going to take this. He might be a bastard, but even he had to know he would be losing a great Agent. "Seriously? You hate working with Gibbs _that_ much?"_

_Stan laughed. "Honestly? I would much rather work with Vivian as my boss."  
><em>

_"You are joking, right? I hope you are joking." _

_"At least if I would pull the '_I'm going to the Director_' card on her, she would have to start behaving or get fired. But with Gibbs?"_

_"Fair point... So... Agent Afloat? I doubt I could handle that..."_

_"Don't sell yourself short, Tony. I've seen you work and I've heard people say nothing but good about you. Well, except Vivian of course, but no one takes her words seriously anymore."_

_"People talk about me..?" Tony wasn't sure what to think. Usually that meant nothing good for him... It seemed like in general people would talk both good and bad things of him behind his back. It was the bad things which he usually ended up hearing about.  
><em>

_"Sure. All the way from your heroic stunt of saving that old woman from that self-made race car driver, to when you ditched your SFA and even a backup when going after a killer on your own..." Stan gave him a meaningful look at the last part. It was one of those secrets which everybody knows. How they knew it? It was hard to tell after the rumor had gone around and grown wild and the case of a woman who had nearly killed Valentine, had somewhere along the way turned into some epic story, where Tony was starting to look more like Schwarzenegger in one of his more badass movies. _

_Pointing at his desk, Stan had a playful mirth in his eyes. "You're gonna enjoy taking my spot, once the time is due of course."_

_"Very funny..."_

_"I'm serious. So ready to go and get that drink I promised you?" Stan asked._

_Of course that was when Gibbs decided to materialize behind them. "You going somewhere?"_

_"Boss. I finished all the work and the working day is over so-"_

_"We're going out. To drink." Tony grabbed Stan's arm and pulled him to the elevator. The man shouted over his shoulder his news to Gibbs._

_"By the way, boss! This is my last day working with you! I'll be leaving today! Director will tell you more!"_

_Gibbs stared at the mountains of paperwork, now on his desk. Hearing nothing but roaring in his ears at the very thought that he would have to go through them all._

* * *

><p>"Yeah... I guess I can see where the problem is... My fault. Should have given him the chance to speak properly, before dragging him away like that, but I was kind of afraid what you might do to him..."<p>

Gibbs head slapped him and glared. "You know what this means to us, don't you?"

"Yeah, yeah... Reset the time back to the year. Look... I'm sorry that Stan left... He's a good man and good Agent to work with." And he was. Tony could finally truly admit that to himself, once he got over his worry and Vivian's taunting of just how_ amazing_ Agent Stan was and then the threat of their possible new Agent... And especially when Tony remembered that this was Gibbs they were talking about. And exactly how many Agents besides Vivian had worked with Gibbs for more than a few months, before he finally scared them off?

He also didn't exactly trust Vivian to watch Gibbs's back. While he wasn't willing to admit that he maybe was starting to feel something akin to affection towards the old bear, he did like Shannon and Kelly and didn't want them to have to bury their husband and a father, because of a woman who had failed to watch his six. Sure, after the last time when she messed up and had been punished for it, it seemed like Vivian had learned her lesson. It still didn't make him happy, knowing she would be for a while the only partner Gibbs had.

"Hey. Gibbs. Watch your six out there." Tony spoke when Gibbs moved past him. Gibbs, seeing the honest worry in his eyes, smiled.

"You too, DiNozzo."

Before Tony got the chance to go to the Director, he was stopped again, by Nathan who was calling for him downstairs. "Tony! We got a case and it's pretty urgent!"

With a sigh, Tony turned around. He held the files tightly against his chest. "Well, I'm sure these can wait for just a little more..."

The case turned out to be a joint case, with another team and then the FBI added to the mix. That another team was team Gibbs, seeing as it was already two Agents short, so their two teams had been temporarily made into one. And this case took way more than two or even three Agents, plus the FBI, to finish. It was a case involving a possible terrorist cell which someone had located in Washington D.C. and it turned out to be a very messy one. They even lost a few good men and women of their own at the bomb explosion, which their bad guy had planted inside one of the buildings where they had searched him from.

It was also the case where Vivian's time finally ran out.

During the intense chase after the bad guy and his ilk, Vivian saw the one responsible for her brother's death. As team Valentine had partners to look after one another, and to cover all their sides, Gibbs only had her to secure his back. So when abandoning her duty and running after 'her guy', Vivian left Gibbs vulnerable. Tony and the others saw it, but were a little too far and late to do anything about it. All they could do from there, was to watch in horror.

Seeing the perfect opportunity for what it was, one of the bad guys came out of hiding and shot Gibbs from behind. Several bullets finished the man in an instant, but by then Gibbs was already falling. When Tony ran to him with ashen face, Gibbs was laying on the ground bleeding, without making a sound or a movement and with a head wound. And that could only mean two things. Either he was already dead or would be dead any moment.

* * *

><p>"I quit!"<p>

Tom was startled speechless, but before he could start his speech at trying to convince the young Agent to stay, Tony spoke again. He was looking so furious it was a miracle he didn't break something. Or someone.

"This '_deal_'... I no longer want to do it."

"Agen-... Tony..." Since he was the Director, Tom had already heard what had happened and he wasn't about to let it just be. It_ shouldn't_ have happened and he had to make it clear to everyone. Right now he had DiNozzo to deal with though... He couldn't afford to lose him.

Tony kept talking. Barely containing the rage which was bubbling under the surface. "It sounded good at the time, it honestly did, but now I know what a bad idea it is. Gibbs was all the time half his mind elsewhere. And then he can't even trust his own partner to watch his six when it matters the most!"

Tom listened quietly as Tony took a deep and shaky breath, trying to calm himself down. When that didn't happen, Tony slammed his fist at the desk. "So I want out. Put me in his team like it was meant to be. Or I will accept one of those job offers which you know I keep getting. But I'm sure that losing another Agent so soon won't look good."

Tom smiled weakly. "You really aren't leaving me much to choose from, are you? But you are right... This doesn't work as well as it should have..."

"Don't worry. I'll tell everyone that I asked for this."

Before leaving, Tony turned around at the door and spoke again. "Oh and... Team Gibbs will be another Agent short. Vivian quit."

When he was gone, Tom sighed wearily at the closed door. "There's _two_ of them now..."

The car drive to Bethesda was one of his longest and the frustration over the crowded streets was driving him mad. Finally, seeing the smallest possible gap for him to drive through, Tony left the road and parked his car at the parking spot which was '_reserved for C. Correll Freeman_'. Rest of the way he ran, but it was still much faster than if he'd still been in the car.

By the time he finally made it to the hospital, Tony was sweaty and tired, but he hardly noticed. Instead, his eyes saw the redhead getting out of her car. Before she even made it away from her car, he pushed her back inside and followed her, locking the car doors.

"What are you doing here, Vivian?" He snarled dangerously.

Vivian licked her dry lips. "I heard Gibbs got hurt and-"

"You _heard_!?" Tony exploded.

"He is laying there at the hospital as we speak! The doctors neither confirming nor denying if he will live or die! His _family_ is there at the waiting room! Anxiously and in _pure agony_, waiting to hear the news! _Any_ news! And they don't even know just _how_ serious the situation was way before he was even taken to the hospital! I had to change my clothes before coming here, because they were entirely covered in _his blood_! The blood which I kept trying to keep leaving his body! I was watching him die! I _felt_ it!"

"I'm-"

"He might already be dead by now! And he won't be dead because of a terrorist, but because _his own partner_ decided that avenging her _dead_ brother was far more important than watching your boss's back who was _alive_!"

"I swear, had I known-"

"It doesn't matter, Vivian! You abandoned your duty! He may be a bastard, _with a big B_, but he sure watches your six when it counts the most!"

"I came back."

"When, Vivian? When did you come back?" Tony wasn't yelling anymore, but somehow that was much more terrifying than when he did yell. This was pure unadulterated fury, that could easily cause her neck to be snapped half and she felt it deep in her bones.

She answered with a small voice. "After... After I got him... The guy who is the reason my brother is dead..."

Tony glared at her. "Tell me, what makes _your_ need for a vengeance more important than everyone else's? What made it so important, that you couldn't even wait for someone else to cover his back?"

The silence took over the car. Finally Vivian spoke with a small voice again. "I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't good enough and it's not me you need to say sorry to. It's Gibbs and his wife and his daughter. I don't give a rat's ass how _you_ feel now. You made your bed. Now lay on it. And don't you_ dare_ complain about it."

Opening the door, Tony stepped out. Leaning over the car, he looked inside at the distraught woman and spoke calmly. "Go back to the Navy Yard. Pack your things and go to the Director. You will quit and if I _ever_ even see you again, I swear you will regret the day you were born."

She frowned and opened her mouth to speak back against the clear order, but Tony knew what she would say before she even let her defiance show on her face. He spoke with a voice and look in his eyes that put fear in her. The fear which was only second to the fear of God.

"I don't easily choose to make people my enemies. You _don't want_ me as your enemy and now that you successfully did it... I swear, I will come after you like a raving wolf and tear you apart. _Limb from limb_. You're lucky I haven't received a phone call from Shannon yet, telling me they need a shoulder to cry on. That he's dead. If I were you I'd disappear, in case it happens. Because _if_ it happens and I _find_ you..."

His next and last words to her were damning and painful to hear. "Would your brother be proud of you now, Vivian? Would Rex give you a good pat on the shoulder and tell you what a fine job you did? I hope it was worth it."

Leaving the tearful woman in the car, Tony disappeared inside the hospital. She would love to think that he was only speaking big words to scare her, but without a doubt in her heart, she knew he had been deadly serious... Either he was too good actor or he had meant every word. With a trembling hand, she started her car and drove away, without looking back even once.

Storming through the hospital hallways, Tony finally found Shannon and Kelly. Shannon was crying silently, hunched on the waiting room's chair and Kelly was leaning against a young man, seeking comfort from him. Before Tony could see if she was also crying, he noticed another man standing there. Not Ducky, because the man could only come once he had gone through all the bodies from this case. Even with the help, which he had, it was going to take a long time... Abby was in a similar situation, going through mountains of evidence sent to her lab.

Standing close to the women and drinking his hospital quality coffee was... Mike Franks.

_ **End of Part 10.** _


	11. It's Now Or Never

He didn't remember him. It became obvious from the moment when Mike Franks glanced at him with a raised eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Just assumed that he was one of the Agents Gibbs was working with and nothing else. Or maybe the SOB simply didn't recognize him. It _had_ been a little more than a decade since they saw each other and only one of them had been a grown up man at the time.

But even with ten years behind, surely he hadn't changed_ that_ much..? Remembering all the trouble his too youthful look got him into, especially when he was a teenager, Tony grimaced inwardly. Hoping that maybe he had changed that much.

"You one of his Agents?" Franks finally asked, when his curiosity got the better of him. Especially when both of the Gibbs girls were now seeking comfort from him, after Kelly's boyfriend had to leave.

The boyfriend's face had been a sight to see when he saw the way _his girlfriend_ threw her arms around Tony and started sobbing. Something which she hadn't done yet. The shock of everything having been simply too much. And as much as he did trust Kelly, he also knew that this _way too_ good looking man was her first love... Had this DiNozzo not been someone who carried a gun, he'd have punched his face from the moment he came in the room...

Sitting on a chair and sandwiched between the two women, Tony narrowed his eyes at the question. Mike wondered silently in his mind where the thick air of hostility came from.

"And you are?" Tony answered the question with a question. He was going to play ignorant. At least until they were away from the hospital and the women. Oh, make no mistake. He was still carrying a gun and would love nothing more than to pull it out and shoot the bastard. Didn't matter how many witnesses there was and if he'd be thrown in jail for the rest of his life. But he couldn't possibly do this after just tearing Vivian a new one because of her blind vengeance. Vengeance could be justified to a certain point, but not when someone else had to pay the price for it. He couldn't pull Shannon and Kelly in this. He couldn't risk pulling anyone else in this hospital into this. So he'd wait...

Mike took a sip of his coffee and studied the young man. There was something familiar about him, but he just couldn't figure out why. Of course, he might have met the kid somewhere before, but how was he supposed to remember all the people he'd come across in the past..? He wasn't young anymore and his memory wasn't what it used to be either. "I'm his former boss. Gibbs was my probie."

"Really? I haven't seen you around before." Tony kept his gaze steady. Hoping Franks would think he was just being curious and with no hidden agenda behind his questions. It seemed to work.

"Mexico." Was Mike's short answer.

Tony raised his eyebrows. "That's a long way from home."

"Is my home now. Once I retired, I traveled some. Ended up staying once I made it there. Never traveled anywhere else either."

Tony almost snorted at the answer. Of course he'd studied Mike throughly after getting those files. So he knew all about the 'retirement', which was nothing more than people finally having had enough of his '_Wild West cowboy gone bad_' style and gave him a chance to retire with honor and dignity or face the consequences of his actions.

"Where in Mexico are you living now?"

"Oh, it's this small-" Mike frowned and for the first time he started looking suspicious. Tony silently cursed and wished he'd been more careful. Whatever Mike Franks was, the man was a former investigator. Someone whom even Gibbs respected.

Instead of finishing saying what he'd started, Mike started questioning Tony. "So you're my probie's Agent? His probie?"

Tony almost smiled at the idea of anyone calling Gibbs probie. "I'm no one's probie. I've been in this line of work far too long for that. And yes, I work _with_ him."

He'd felt the need to add '_with_'. There just had been something so arrogant about the way Franks spoke of him, as if he was nothing but Gibbs's mere underling. He'd like to think that he was more than that...

"I see." Mike answered. He didn't look too impressed and he kept looking at Tony with an odd look on his face.

Refusing to let it show just how uncomfortable that stare made him feel, Tony focused on the anger and bitterness instead. Once his feelings were under control, he ignored the older man. Right now this wasn't about them. It was about Gibbs and his girls. The women who both had stolen one of his shoulders and arms. The heavy weight was starting to numb his arms and he was feeling a little claustrophobic, but he sighed inwardly and silently suffered through the suffocating feeling. From the corner of his eye, he saw that Mike never stopped staring at him. He hoped that the man didn't find out the truth about him just yet...

When they saw the doctor walking towards them, he was grateful when for a moment everything else was forgotten. The tired smile on the doctor's face could only mean good news and so they all finally relaxed. Well, all but Tony. Shannon started crying again, but this time it was out of relief.

"It was a close call, but he's going to be alright."

After hearing those words, Tony was grateful he was already sitting down. He was pretty sure his legs wouldn't have been able to hold him. Thank God, Gibbs was alright... Tony pressed his face against the palms of his hands, since Shannon and Kelly were no longer holding onto him, but were now rushing after the doctor as he went on to explain everything to them. Tony stood up only after he was sure his feet wouldn't betray him.

As Mike went to follow after the women, he looked over his shoulder and noticed that the young Agent was gone. With a frown he realized he'd never even asked his name...

While the others stayed at the hospital, Tony returned to work. Not that he didn't want to visit Gibbs, but he just felt like he'd been forcing his way in to where he had no right to be. It was _their_ family. Their happy moment. It was not his place to ruin it. Plus, he had to hurry before it was too late...

"Tony!" Nathan stood up when he saw his, _now former_, partner stepping in the bullpen.

"Not now, Nate."

"What's with the Director telling us you're moving into Gibbs's team?"

"I said _not now_, Nate. I'm in a hurry. I promise we'll talk later." Tony took the files from his locked desk drawer, but before he could leave, Nathan grabbed his arm.

"Were you even going to tell us?" He sounded angry and Tony hated having to be the reason for it. He really liked this team. He really did. But as crazy as it sounded, he was starting to like Gibbs more...

"Yes... I was going to talk to you both. I didn't realize Director was going to talk to you already. I've been a little busy today. Gibbs getting shot and-"

"Look. I get it. For a reason I can't understand, you like that SOB. But I thought it was supposed to be for a year and now that Burley left..."

"Change of plans." Tony sighed. Shaking the hand off, he left. Sure, it was kind of nice to be wanted by two teams, but it also brought out situations like these, which he really didn't want to go through...

"You're always welcome to join my team if you ever have enough of them both." Chris Pacci whispered to him as he walked past him. There was a wide smirk on his face. It was no secret to anyone that there was no love between team Gibbs and team Valentine. Especially Gibbs and Nathan. And right in the middle of that was Tony.

Tony had a sour look on his face. "You're hilarious."

* * *

><p>Looking at her husband's unconscious face, Shannon kept stroking her fingers gently over his cheek. "I thought we wouldn't have to worry this much anymore... Our stubborn old man... He just has to prove we were wrong..."<p>

"Be careful dad doesn't hear you calling him old." Kelly chuckled. Her previous worry was gone and she seemed happy and relaxed, reading a book.

Mike knew that he should maybe leave and let the family have this moment, but he couldn't. Instead he was hoping that Gibbs would finally wake up so that maybe he could ask some questions about that green-eyed young Agent...

_Green eyes_... Mike froze. He had a flash of image of a young boy with eyes just like that. Full of pain and sorrow and then anger. He knew he had to know, even if Gibbs was still out of it. "I'm sorry Shannon... I forgot to ask him myself... What's his name? That kid who was with us before?"

Shannon smiled softly as she was thinking about Tony. "Tony."

"Tony..?"

"Tony DiNozzo. You might remember him. He's the younger brother of your former Agent, the one who was killed while protecting us..."

Of course he was... Suddenly it all made sense. The familiarity. The hostile feeling which he got from the moment when their eyes met for the first time. The pure and raw hatred, even if it was gone faster than he could blink his eyes. He could still remember the last time they had met. He just didn't like to think about the lowest time of his life...

* * *

><p><em> <strong>- FLASHBACK -<strong> _

_"Go home, kid. There is nothing for you in here anymore." Without even looking back, Mike left. Knowing without even seeing that there would be guilt written all over the boy's face. _

_The better part in him knew that he'd done the wrong thing. He knew that his words could destroy the young life for good. He'd seen and heard plenty of stories through his long career, to know most scenarios of what could happen. But as much as that quiet voice inside his head was screaming at him for what he'd done and how low he had fallen, it was just that. A quiet voice, which the years and alcohol had learned to tune out. So as he left the building and went to the nearest bar, he felt no shame. No remorse. It was either his life or theirs. It was the rule which overrides every other rule out there. _

_Ordering the drink, Mike took his usual spot and stared at the glass in front of him. Just enjoying for a moment how the cold glass felt against his skin. If there would later come the feelings of guilt, it was easy to forget. All he needed was something stronger than what was in this. But not today... He had to be sober enough when it was time for him to figure out how to explain to his own boss how this all could have happened...  
><em>

_"Bad day?" The guy sitting next to him asked._

_"Just another day at work..." Mike answered and raised the glass to his dry lips._

* * *

><p>Mike stood up and was just about to excuse himself, when Gibbs started showing signs of waking up.<p>

Muttering a curse, Gibbs's eyes were barely open, when the first thing which he saw was his old boss. "Am I dead..? Gone straight to hell..."

"Jethro!" Shannon scolded him, but he just kept frowning, looking confused. And the headache certainly made him feel no better...

"Good to see you again, probie." Mike chuckled. Maybe he could stay just a little longer. He wasn't in a hurry this time...

* * *

><p>As he finally put down the files, Tom Morrow had a deep frown on his face. "And this is all you have on him?"<p>

Tony shook his head. "That's just a footnote. I figured you'd want to leave the heavy reading for later."

"I appreciate your thoughtfulness..." Tom said dryly.

"Of course I'll give it all to you. I just wanted to know what you think first..." Tony was nervous, even worried, but on the outside he looked calm.

Tom remained quiet for a while. "He's here now? At the hospital?"

"Unless he took off again, yes."

"Did he recognize you?"

"I don't think so... But he is suspecting something."

Rubbing his forehead, Tom was quiet again. He finally sighed and stood up. "I'll make a call to the SecNav. That case was a big one. He wouldn't want to be left out..."

Tony hesitated. "What if-?"

"I know how to handle him. If not, I know who else to turn to."

"Yes sir..." Tony muttered.

"And Tony..."

Feeling still a little wary whenever the Director called him by his first name, Tony moved uncomfortably. "Yes?"

"It's Tom when it's just me and you."

"Yes Direc- Yes..."

"One more thing... Let's keep this between you and I, until we have him in handcuffs. I don't want this bastard to leave the country again. Meanwhile, go back in there and make sure he doesn't get away. You have my permission to shoot him if he tries anything. I'll take the full responsibility."

"Yes sir." Tony grinned. He was starting to like his Director...

"And Tony..." Tom spoke again, when Tony was suddenly a little too eager to leave.

"Try not to kill him."

Tony doesn't answer. Just blinked his eyes twice and then left.

Tom sighed when he was finally alone. He really was starting to feel too old for this kind of work and these kind of Agents... Still, he loved his job and these same Agents... Picking up his phone, he started making phone calls. He would do whatever it took to bring justice to one of their best Agents. It was a shame that another Agent, who had also been good once, had to go down with it...

_ **End of Part 11.** _


	12. Unforgiving

"What're you doing here?" Gibbs finally asked. The drugs they were putting in him, and the blood loss, were making it hard to keep his mind and words clear.

Since Kelly had her school work and Shannon would be starting her new work tomorrow, it hadn't been too hard to talk them into leaving him with Mike. Well, it was easy compared to how it had been usually when he ended up in a hospital. And he'd had to promise them to 'behave' and let the good doctor and his nurses tell him what to do. Promising something and doing it were two different things of course... The doctor had promised that as long as he took it easy, there was nothing to worry about either. He truly had been lucky this time... One inch to the left and he could be one of Ducky's many guests now...

Not that he wasn't happy to see his former boss, he was, but it wasn't like Mike to just show up there to see his former probie when he landed in the hospital again. Instead, this was the first time he'd seen the old man since retiring years ago. Even that hadn't been without so much as letting his Agents know that he was leaving. Instead at the end of a normal working day, Gibbs got a pat on the back and the words '_they're all yours now_'. By the time he realized what had happened, the old bastard had disappeared from his life. Leaving months worth of paperwork behind him, which Gibbs swore to never do again after going through them once...

Mike shrugged. There was a chair in the room, but he'd chosen to stand instead. "My other probie found me and called me... Told me you're dying. He's such a liar. You look just fine to me. Seen you looking much worse than this."

Gibbs snorted. "All the way from Mexico? This fast?"

Mike scoffed and finally sat down. "Fine,_ fine_... Don't give me that look. You really haven't changed, probie... So, I was already nearby. Still have some people around here to visit..."

Gibbs narrowed his eyes suspiciously. Hoping his former boss wasn't up to no good again. He really wasn't in the condition to be saving his sorry ass right now. He was already fighting against the drugs in his system, to not let them win and fall asleep in front of Mike of all the people. "You're drinking again?"

"What? No. Of course not." Mike answered, just a little too fast and Gibbs had his answer. Before he could question more, someone opened the door.

"DiNozzo." Gibbs brightened up and he smiled, his entire mood changing at the sight of the young man.

"Gibbs." Tony nodded his greetings to Mike and without any further act, he moved to Gibbs. He put several black roses in the empty vase next to Gibbs's bed and filling it up with water.

"Abby?" Gibbs asked and Tony nodded.

"She really wants to come, but can't... She'll come as soon as she can. Her and Ducky both."

"Can't wait..." Gibbs muttered. He really didn't want to have neither Abby nor Ducky visit him while he was laying there, helpless. Ducky would most likely start telling him one of those long tales and Abby... God help him if she was high on caffeine...

"I'm sure they're not that bad." Tony smirked. Knowing full well how bad they could be, with all of their good intentions. With a sigh he leaned closer as Gibbs beckoned him. The head slap was gentle, but it delivered the message. To not tempt the man while he was stuck in that bed, constantly battling to stay awake.

"Don't get so used to that, Gibbs." Tony told him, but at the older man's questioning look, he didn't explain any further. Now was not the right time. Not with Mike Franks in the room and when Gibbs's eyes kept closing, before he opened them again. The look on his face was just daring anyone to say anything about that.

Gibbs pointed at Mike. "Tony. I'd like you to meet someone. This is Mike Franks. He used to be my boss when I started at the NCIS. Back then it was called-"

"NIS. I know Gibbs. Get some rest now. We'll talk more when you're not trying so hard to stay awake." Tony gave a soft pat on the man's shoulder and Gibbs scowled at him and still tried to fight against the heavy sleep.

"It'll help you to get better sooner and get back to work sooner too."

Gibbs glared. "You're... one to talk..."

"I know, I know... Don't have to remind me..."

With a suffering sigh, Gibbs finally gave up and fell asleep. After that there was for a while a heavy silence in the room, broken only by the hospital machine sounds in the room and Gibbs's soft breathing.

The two men, Tony and Mike, were staring at one another for a long time. It took just one look in his eyes and Tony knew that the man knew who he was. So he didn't even bother hiding the anger. Clenching his teeth together so hard, you could see it on his face and jaw. He'd crossed his arms over his chest and his hands were in tight fists. Tight enough that they were losing all the color on the skin.

Finally, after what felt like hours had passed, but in reality was fifteen minutes at most, Tony spoke. His voice tight and barely under control. "It's been a while."

"So it seems." Mike nodded. He looked wary and in his mind he kept comparing this tall young man, who was just oozing inner strength and raw hatred towards him, to the short and scrawny little kid who had still been searching for his own identity.

"Looks like life's been treating you just fine. Living in Mexico and all..."

"You don't look half bad yourself, kid. Howard would be-"

Tony had enough. He could barely hold himself together before, but the moment Mike had the _audacity_ to mention his brother, he lost it. Luckily no one was then near the room or they would've heard a loud crash coming from there. In a flash, Mike found himself slammed down, against the floor. Only the pain in his head and back as a faint reminder that he had been still sitting on the chair just a second before.

"Don't you dare..!" Tony hissed. As much fury as there was in him, he was still just enough under control that he didn't scream till his throat felt raw and that he didn't kill the man with his bare hands. He might have been just a weak and short kid back then, but now he had the power to kill a grown and strong man if he so decided to do. The knowledge of that both scared and thrilled him. In that moment he understood so well the mind of some of those murderers he had put away. He understood it too well. And right now, with this man's life in his hands, that was the only reason why he didn't kill him.

Leaning next to Mike's ear, he snarled in his ear. All that time he kept his voice low enough so only those in the room could have heard it. "I know the truth, Mike. I know all about it. Your dirty little secret... You had to get that drink _so badly_ that you were willing to do it during work hours. When you should have made sure his backup was there with him! Howard and Jeanne are dead because of your choices! Your selfishness cost the life of a good man. A man worth so many and much better men than you could ever even hope to be!"

Mike swallowed. It felt like being pinned down by a wild hound, ready to rip his throat open. "Kid..."

Tony grabbed a hold of Mike's shirt and with each word he slammed Mike against the floor. "Dont. You. Dare!"

Hearing footsteps behind the door, Tony got up and pulled the older man back up. Pushing him against the wall, to get some support, he showed the dazed looking man his weapon under his jacket. "You try anything..."

The door opened, revealing Gibbs's doctor. "Everything alright in here?"

Tony smiled slightly. "Yeah... Now that I know he's going to be alright..."

The doctor shook his head. "Well, you better make sure he understands just _how_ lucky he was this time. Even if the bullet didn't make it to his brains, a head wound is still a head wound. He's lucky it was mostly the blood loss which was our biggest concern..."

"I'll let him know..." Tony nodded. While he seemingly paid no attention to Mike anymore, the older man realized that as soon as he even moved towards the door, he was frozen to the spot by the green eyes which were nothing like the eyes of that still innocent looking kid years ago.

"Anything I should know if he decides to return to work earlier?"

The doctor frowned and then glared at him. Mike couldn't help but wonder how it looked like a baby tiger next to the look DiNozzo had on his face only a moment ago.

Right now Tony however looked perfectly embarrassed and flashed his famous smile. "Not that I would encourage him, but I know him too well..."

"He really needs to rest now and focus getting better first." The doctor finally answered. With a few more and less friendly words from him, he left the room. Muttering something about cops and doctors being the worst patients to have...

After they were alone, the silence from before was back. Tony kept touching his weapon in the shoulder holster, while looking absent-minded.

"Tony..."

"Be quiet."

After that Mike remained silent for a while, but not long enough. "Look. I'm sor-"

"Don't you even _dare_ utter those words to me, Franks! Sorry is a too little too late! People are dead because of you!"

"I swear, I had no-"

"Just like you had no idea what you were doing when you framed your own Agent for what you did? You know, the one who committed suicide, because we know how he would've been treated as a marked man. A man who didn't watch his own partner's back. Who is now dead. Both him and a young girl. I hope you are proud, Mike. Because you're not getting any redemption from me. You lost your chance for it years ago, the moment you decided to be a coward. The ones you could have gotten it from, are dead."

"How did you know..?"

"I told you, I know all about it."

After that Mike didn't try to talk to him again. Even when he still had one big question on his mind. '_What are you going to do?_'

Tony took out his phone when it started ringing. Hoping that any doctors or nurses hadn't heard it, he answered it. His answers to the other person were short and to the point. Not giving Mike any room to guess what was being said at the other end.

"DiNozzo... Yes... Yes... No, I didn't... Yes... Okay."

Ending the call soon after, Tony kept his eyes on Mike, unnerving him. Watching him with the eyes of a hunter, watching every move his prey made. Mike chose wisely and didn't move from where he was. So he waited whatever it was that was coming for him and Tony waited for the men Tom had promised to send. Something about his eyes had worried even the Director.

* * *

><p>When Gibbs woke up next time, it was already next morning. He didn't see Mike anywhere, but Tony was sitting on the chair next to the bed. With arms crossed over his chest and his head bowed low, he was dozing off.<p>

"What's going on between you and Mike?" Gibbs asked out of nowhere. Somehow knowing that this sleep was like the sleep of a dog.

Blinking his eyes sleepily, Tony just stared at Gibbs for a long time before the question reached his brains. Rubbing his tired face, he shrugged. "Nothing. You just focus getting better."

Gibbs scowled. "I may not have been fully there at the time, but I'm not stupid, DiNozzo. I saw the way you two looked at each other..."

"Never said you were... It's nothing, Gibbs. Okay?"

Gibbs glared at him. "Don't do that... DiNozzo... _Tony_... When I fell asleep... I woke up again."

Tony looked up sharply and Gibbs actually looked a little unsure. Like he wasn't sure what to say. "You were..? Since when..?"

"Since you knocked him on his back from that chair... Was awake the whole time after that, until those Agents came to take him..."

"Oh..."

They didn't speak again after that and when the doctor came, Tony muttered his goodbye and left the room. Gibbs barely even registered what the doctor was doing or telling him and by the time both Ducky and Abby came to see him, he barely even noticed them. He was feeling conflicted...

_ **End of Part 12.** _


	13. I Know Him So Well

**That's the end of part two _(if we don't count the oneshots, which are kind of like 'breaks in between')_. I hope you liked it. Thank you for all the reviews and favs! **

**EDIT: Since I dropped the last story in this universe, few things are left unexplained. Like, who this ****_Charlie C. F. _was... But I'll leave them now as a mystery... For those curious, I have saved the now "lost" parts on my blog, along with one unfinished "raw" chapter and notes to give small idea of what else would've happened on the story...  
><strong>

_**Leo**_

* * *

><p>By the time Abby and Ducky realized that Gibbs really wasn't in the mood for their company and was barely even listening to a word they said to him, they finally left him alone. Although as hurt as Abby was, she left only after Ducky made it clear to her that Gibbs would need his rest and that they could come back the next day.<p>

Meanwhile, faking his sleep, Gibbs felt just a little guilty for doing it even when his wife and daughter came to see him. He knew they didn't even have any time for any hospital visits and yet they came anyway. But he needed to be left alone and get his moment of peace to just think about everything he had heard.

There was one part of him that didn't want to believe Mike could have done anything like this. _Mike_. His good friend and mentor. A man he had looked up to and respected so much, despite all of his faults. The other part was mad at himself for never seeing what had been right in front of his eyes the whole time. Especially when he _knew_ what kind of man his former boss was. People had _died_ because of Mike's actions.

With a dread that chilled him to the bones, he realized that those two people could've been Shannon and Kelly. With a growing rage he realized that it _would've_ been them, had Tony not been there. He could've lost them and never even known who to really blame... He didn't even want to think what he would've done if that had been the reality...

The machine next to him was starting to make distressed sounds. He had to focus hard to force himself to calm down. The last thing he needed right now was to have the doctors and nurses running there to see what was wrong with him. It was already hard enough to get any peace when people kept coming in his room. And to think they had the nerve to tell him to get some 'rest'...

After trying to remain calm, now that he couldn't stop thinking about the 'what if' scenarios, Gibbs finally had enough and he stood up. He'd done it before, he'd do it again. Ignoring the pain in his head and the weakness in his body, he disconnected himself from the machines. Not thinking what the pain would be like once the pain relief would be gone from his system.

* * *

><p>Valentine was a nervous wreck, standing there and watching his former boss. A man that he had once respected, even if it had been mixed with a good amount of fear. To think that it was him calling Mike and then gathering all the evidence during the years, that it might be the man's ultimate downfall. That thought scared him a little. The young probie in him was shaking, but he reminded himself that he was the boss now and had his own team to lead, so he couldn't let something like this scare him.<p>

Mike Franks was just a man, no more than that. Maybe even less of a man, if you counted his cowardly actions...

Entering the room, Tony didn't take his eyes off the man sitting behind the window. "Has anyone been talking to him yet?"

Tom looked away from the window showing the interrogation room and shook his head at Tony's question. He then looked back at Mike who had remained calm during the whole time. Either he trusted that things would turn out good or then he had resigned to his fate. But there were no such signs there. Just calmness on his face and at times there was something that looked like a smile on his lips.

"Not yet. I wanted to give you a chance to be here first, but I'm sure you understand that I can't let you do this yourself... You're too close to this and far too emotionally invested."

Only the slight narrowing of his eyes told Tom that the young man wasn't happy with this, but Tony didn't say anything about that. Instead he crossed his arms over his chest and looked thoughtful. When he did speak, the tightness in his voice was the only evidence of the barely contained rage that still hadn't calmed down since confronting Vivian and then soon after that meeting Mike. He merely used all of his willpower to keep it on leash. Last thing he needed was to let his Director see his less professional side... He didn't want to gain a reputation of being _Gibbs 2.0_.

"I don't have a good feeling about this... It's not like they died by his hand. Not directly..." If only he could do the interrogation... He'd_ make_ the man talk. But Tony had to admit that his Director was right. He was too close to this and that could cause some future problems.

Tom hesitated. He didn't want to give any false hope. "We'll see about that... Obviously we can't just keep him sitting there forever, but I called in someone to take the case from us and explained the situation. They'll be looking into the evidence and choose the next course of action... Hopefully we'll have enough to keep him on a very short leash if nothing else, to give enough time to work on this case with the kind of care it deserves..."

"Who?"

"The FBI."

"What?" Tony turned around sharply.

"I have there some friends who I trust with this. Besides..." Tom hesitated again. Wondering how much he should reveal. Especially with the other two Agents in the room with them. So when he spoke again, it was quietly and leaning closer to Tony. He knew the other two must have noticed that secrets were being shared, but he didn't have time to worry about their personal feelings.

"I'm not too sure where our SecNav's loyalties are."

Seeing the dead serious look on the man's face, Tony nodded. He studied the old man behind the glass. "Could explain why he's so sure of himself..."

"Could be..."

The FBI Agents came and Tony looked at them surprised, but then he was wondering _why_ was he surprised. Of course it would be Tobias Fornell they would send... Who else? At least he knew the man well enough and how he worked. With that knowledge, he relaxed and focused watching the show that was about to begin. Fornell was no Gibbs, but neither was Mike Franks.

* * *

><p>"Shouldn't you be in a hospital?" Chris Pacci stared at Gibbs completely unsurprised, but somebody had to ask the question.<p>

Gibbs, thankfully fully dressed in his own clothes now, ignored the question and instead looked around the bullpen. "Where..?"

"Interrogation." Chris answered and Gibbs turned around, nearly falling flat on his face, had it not been Chris and his quick reflexes saving him with a steady hand.

"Let me guess... AMA? Are we soon going to get the doctors calling and telling us you have disappeared without a trace?"

Pulling free from the helping hand on him, Gibbs left without answering and with as much dignity as he could, when he was still feeling frail and weak as newborn kitten.

Watching him go, Chris shook his head and called Ducky. No pity for the idiot and it was better if somebody with actual medical knowledge was aware of the situation...

When he finally found the right room, Gibbs stepped in the observation room as quietly as he could, thankful for the dim lightning in there. Standing close to the door, he saw Tony, Tom, Val and another Agent. All of them were focusing watching Mike Franks and the two Agents in the interrogation room with him. To Gibbs's surprise, Fornell was the one doing the interrogation.

"Why don't you do all of us a favor and stop evading the questions." Fornell was saying to Mike, who was now angrily glaring at him.

Watching the scene play for a little while longer, Tony finally turned away to look at Tom. "I bet he now regrets for not taking that lawyer..."

The Director laid his hand over the young man's shoulder and whispered something in his year, which no one else in the room could hear. Gibbs automatically leaned a little closer, but with that movement he revealed himself.

"What are you doing here?" Tom frowned at his Agent who was looking like the slightest breath of wind could knock him over.

Tony stepped away from Tom and looked almost uncertain. "Gibbs... Shouldn't you be in the hospital?"

Gibbs shrugged. Instead of answering, he nodded his head towards Mike. He regretted even that small movement as the pain shot through his head. Now that he was away from the hospital, his time with the pain relief was running short fast. "How's he doing?"

Misinterpreting that, the look on Tony's face darkened. "He's starting to show some cracks. But I bet since he wasn't holding the gun, and he knows how the game goes, he's going to walk away with much less than what he deserves."

"I meant Fornell."

"Fornell?"

"He's good, but so is Mike and he doesn't know Mike the way I do. And by that I mean all of his trigger points. What sets him off and what buttons to press to raise those charges just a little higher or at least buy some more time. I can make him dig his own grave. I'm going in."

Tony was now openly staring at the older man. The arms which he had previously crossed over his chest, were now hanging down uselessly.

"Gibbs! You can't just-!" Tom started and they watched as Gibbs left the room.

Unsurprisingly, only a moment later they saw him enter the interrogation room where Fornell stopped talking in mid sentence. The glare on the Agent's face changed into something almost like concern when he saw the state the other Agent was in. Mike, when he saw his former probie walk in, went from angry to smug.

Fornell and Gibbs shared a few whispered words and by the time Gibbs sat down and faced Mike, it was all business.

While Mike was still smiling, the smile was now forced. Although he still didn't believe that Gibbs of all the people would go against him, his own gut had finally kicked into full gear. After all those years of silencing it with alcohol. Now the only drinks which had been given to him were coffee and water.

Looking back at it couple of months later, Tony would think how unsurprising the turn of events were. The only thing which was shocking, was Gibbs actually being surprisingly calm for a change. Although that could have something to do with the fact that he had to save his strength just to be there. He kept his eyes on his former boss and little by little he pushed down the walls the other man had built up. Mike Franks went ballistic and the whole thing was over by the time he had his hands around Gibbs's throat.

"That idiot!" Tony hissed and turned around when he saw that Gibbs was finally leaving the room, held up by Fornell as his adrenaline filled strength was fading fast. The other FBI Agent, now accompanied by another Agent, had restrained Mike Franks. In the end he had indeed digged his own grave, with some generous help from Gibbs, so from now on he would be Fornell's problem and case to work with. And Gibbs had indeed bought some time, but anything could still happen. But for now all was good. Almost.

"Tom!" Tony raised his voice when the Director hadn't reacted in any way.

The older man had turned around and was now pretending to be looking through his contact list on the phone he was holding. Even Valentine had looked away at some point and was now glancing over his shoulder uncertainly, his back still towards Mike. His face still red from the screaming, Mike at least seemed to be finally resigned to his fate as sanity slowly returned.

"What? I'm sorry, I wasn't listening." Tom answered with a tight smile, finally looking at Tony and then he had almost pitying look on his face.

"You know, if you ever find a need to have a career change, please come talk to me first. Gibbs can be a... Gibbs."

"Bastard?"

"That too."

Morrow shook his head with a pained sigh and he glanced at the other Agent in the room, the only one who hadn't spoken a single word since stepping in the room. "Make sure things are finished properly. I'll go make sure that nothing in this will be turned against us... He didn't use any violence or even raised his voice there, but as soon as the lawyers hear the name Gibbs, they are going to try everything they can to destroy our case... Make sure that camera recording doesn't get 'lost' like it did last time."

"Lost?" Tony looked at the Agent when their Director left the room. The Agent didn't say anything, but when Gibbs and Fornell join them in the room his eyes automatically looked towards Gibbs and then back at Tony, with a ghost of smile on his lips.

"Of course... That was a stupid question..." Tony rolled his eyes and then he rushed to help Fornell take Gibbs to the chair in the room.

"Don't..." Gibbs said when Fornell took out his phone and called the ambulance.

After checking the red finger marks around the neck and seeing that at least the old man wasn't in any immediate danger of dying, Tony raised his voice. "What am I going to tell Shannon and Kelly if you get killed!? Again!"

Too spent to talk, Gibbs only glared at anyone looking at him. When Ducky entered the room Gibbs found himself too out of strength to face his old friend's furious tirade about two idiots, namely Gibbs and Tony, who he would have to lock up and watch out for 24/7 if he wanted to make sure they remained safe and healthy. By the end of it, Gibbs finally lost his consciousness.

* * *

><p>By the time Gibbs was well enough to leave the hospital,<em> for real<em>, it was already several days later. The doctors of course gave him _strict_ orders to not go back to work yet and to take it easy for many days to come, but he was Gibbs. He didn't take orders, he gave them. So it was no surprise to see him at work the very next morning. Sitting behind his desk and looking like he had lost something.

Walking in the bullpen and seeing his new boss sitting there, Tony hid a smile. "It's in the bottom drawer. You left it on your desk before you... There wasn't room anywhere else."

With a grumble, Gibbs finally found his glasses. Once he made sure DiNozzo wasn't looking at him, he put them on. Grudgingly. When he started on the mountain of files that had been waiting for his recovery and had even mysteriously grown during the time he was gone, Gibbs finally looked at Tony, who for some reason was leaning against one of the desks close to Gibbs and was now studying a stabler of some kind.

"Where's Blackadder?"

There was poisonous mirth in Tony's eyes as he smiled. "She quit."

"Without a word to me?"

"Well, you are known to lose your Agents without them always even talking to the Director first..."

"I'm sure you had nothing to do with it..."

Tony looked almost startled and he set the stabler back on the desk. "Gonna get me one of these... So, the Director told you?"

Gibbs had a half smile, when he remembered that conversation. "More like 'hinted' that she quit because '_someone went Agent Gibbs on her_'. Those were his exact words."

Tony chuckled. "_'Went Agent Gibbs on her'_? Now I'm insulted. Besides, he wasn't even there. How would he know what happened?"

Gibbs stared at him quietly. Thinking how _he_ might not have showed even that much restrain. "You've done good. Even if you're not my Agent..."

"Well, I have to start from somewhere if I decide to stay in your team. Can't have people like her use her career as a weapon for her revenge and then let her almost kill the people she works with."

"What?"

Tony rolled his eyes. "Are you sure you should be out of the hospital, Gibbs? You're kind of slow today. I had a word with Morrow. As soon as you will be _officially_ back to work, I will be part of team Gibbs. Of course if you still want me..."

Gibbs's eyes widened in surprise and when the news fully registered, he smiled. The work suddenly forgotten, he stood up. "Come on... I need some coffee."

"That's all you're going to say?" Tony sighed, when Gibbs just smirked and walked to the elevator.

"_Of course_ that's all you're going to say... You know, it'd be nice to hear something like '_I've been waiting for this_' or even something bit more cheesy."

"I knew this would happen."

"No you didn't."

Gibbs didn't answer and Tony scowled at him as he hurried after him. "You didn't know it!"

Whether Gibbs had known or not was irrelevant, but for some time there would peace in the building and all was well.

* * *

><p>It was a few days later when Tony went to his new desk that he saw there a big envelope waiting for him. It didn't look like any of his usual work mail, so feeling suspicious he studied it first with his eyes only. Then carefully shaking it few times, knowing it couldn't be a bomb if it made it on his desk, he finally opened it and suddenly it would've made more sense if it <em>had<em> been a bomb. It was from Mike Franks, who was currently in a hot water now that his case was wide open and all his past actions investigated. The files were what Howard had apparently started working on, but never got the chance to complete when he died. Or so that letter inside claimed.

Tony stared at the files for a long time, before finally opening them and reading the contents inside. It was his father. Or rather, it was a beginning of information and collected evidence against Senior.

"This doesn't change anything." He spoke as if Mike was there, with hint of anger and uncertainty in his voice. Most of all, he felt resentment. The man had no right to do this. To make him feel almost something like forgiveness starting to creep in his heart. He had no right.

Had the files not been something his brother had worked on,_ for_ _him_, he might have thrown them in the nearest trashcan. But this was another rare piece of his brother and he couldn't do it. So he took the files with him and left the bullpen. Taking the files in the safe he had opened not too long ago. He may have moved on with his life, but he wasn't quite ready to face this yet. To tell the truth, he didn't even care. He had walked away from that life and never looked back. He wasn't going to start doing it now. Senior was as good as dead to him and he knew the old man felt just the same about him, if not worse.

* * *

><p>They were sitting at Gibbs's front yard, drinking beer and talking about their new case. Things were finally starting to calm down after the last stormy months. The two of them worked well together, even as a two man team, and the Director couldn't be happier. Even if he did keep telling them to fill those two empty spots in the team.<p>

For a moment, for both of them, it seemed like they were two pieces of a puzzle that had found out by accident just how well they fit together. But of course for either one of the two to admit that out loud was never going to happen. And for now, there was no room for others.

"You know... In another life, my brother could have been your boss, if he hadn't been already promoted elsewhere before Mike quit."

"Was he that good?"

Tony smiled teasingly at him. "No. Better... You know, could hold his temper under control much better than some... For starters."

"If I were you, I'd watch your mouth."

That fearless smile only grew wider, even with that hint of sadness that was always there whenever Tony even mentioned his brother. Both Gibbs and Shannon had made it a habit of asking questions about the man. Hoping that with time it would get easier to think and talk about Howard.

"Sure thing, boss... Whatever you say..." Tony shrugged and thanked Shannon, when she brought them two plates filled with food.

The men glanced at each other when they saw that more than half of the plate was filled with vegetables... Under the eyes of Shannon, they quietly ate the 'rabbit food'. Silently swearing to stop by a steak house on their next lunch break at work...

A few weeks later, there was another sealed envelope left on Tony's desk. It looked less suspicious than the other one and this time there was a note scribbled on top of it, instead of being hidden inside. There was no name there, but he knew it was from Tom Morrow even without recognizing the handwriting.

'_**I think we both know you are ready**_.'

_ **The End.** _


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